“I’m afraid I might be here forever,” wrote Griner, who has been held in Russia since mid-February. “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 how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me. year.” Griner, whose trial began last week, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. A Russian judge ordered Griner, the Phoenix Mercury center who played in Russia during the WNBA offseason, to remain in custody pending trial. The US has said Griner is being wrongfully detained. WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives for a court hearing in Khimki, outside Moscow, on June 27, 2022. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images In her personal appeal, Griner urged Mr. Biden to release all US prisoners. “I realize you are dealing with so much,” he wrote, “but don’t forget me and the other American prisoners. Please do whatever you can to bring us home.” Griner noted in the letter that she voted for Mr. Biden in 2020, the first time she voted. “I believe in you. I still have so much to do with my freedom that you can help restore,” she wrote. While some advocates support the prisoner swap, Griner’s detention and trial come at a low point in US-Russia relations amid the war in Ukraine. “We believe that the Russian Federation is unjustly detaining Brittney Griner. President Biden has been clear about the need to release all US citizens held hostage or illegally held abroad, including Brittney Griner. The US government continues to work aggressively – using every available means — bring her home,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement Monday. “The president’s team is in regular contact with Brittney’s family and we will continue to work to support her family ». Griner’s wife, Sherrell, and his family had no further comment on the letter.

Kathryn Herridge

Catherine Herridge is a senior investigative correspondent for CBS News covering national security and intelligence based in Washington, DC