“…as I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey or any achievement, I fear I may be here forever,” he wrote Greener. “On the 4th of July, our family usually honors the services of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a veteran of the Vietnam War. It pains me to think about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.” “I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget me and the other American prisoners. Do what you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for anything you can do right now to bring me home.’ Griner, 31, has been held in a Moscow prison since she was arrested on February 17, 2022, after officials found cannabis vapor cartridges in her luggage. She will be held for at least six more months while her trial continues and faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison if convicted on drug-trafficking charges. Although she did not speak on the first day of her trial – July 1 – her trial will continue on Thursday. In another letter to his wife, Cherelle, Griner admitted that she is trying to stay mentally strong throughout her detention until she returns home. “He says, ‘I’m fine, baby. I have hardened. It’s not me right now. When I get home, it’s going to take a minute to come back to myself, but I’m holding on,” Cherelle told Al Sharpton’s Keepin’ It Real. “I won’t break until I get home. I won’t let them break me. I know they’re trying, but I’ll do my best to hold on until I can get home.” The story continues After the US declared her “unreasonably detained” by the Russian government and is reportedly seeking her release. However, the means by which this release could occur has not been revealed. Russian state media once believed Griner could be freed if the US freed convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout. Others believe Griner’s former Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison on espionage charges in 2018, could be traded along with Bout. US Deputy Chief of Mission Elizabeth Rudd, who attended Griner’s trial on July 1, said Griner told her to tell the American public that he was “in good spirits and keeping the faith.” Many have called for Griner’s release recently. Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson and Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard spoke passionately about their friend and teammate after the first photos of Griner were released last week, and players from the WNBA and NBA they were adamant about returning safely to Griner. US Brittney Griner asked President Joe Biden for her release. (REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina)
