Brittney Griner has joined the fight to help bring American journalist Evan Gershkovich home. The Wall Street Journal reporter was working in Yekaterinburg, Russia earlier this month when he was detained last Wednesday (March 29). According to a CNN report, The Federal Security Service, Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, claimed Gershkovich had been “trying to obtain state secrets, a charge that could potentially mean a lengthy prison term.”
Griner, who was also detained in Russia last year, released a statement yesterday (April 2) on social media and called on the Biden administration to help free Gershkovich. “Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan Gershkovich and his family since Evan’s detainment in Russia,” began the statement. “We must do everything in our power to bring him and all Americans home.”
“We are grateful for President Biden and his administration’s deep commitment to rescue Americans,” the WNBA star continued. “We celebrate their recent successful efforts to bring home Jeff Woodke and Paul Rusesabagina. Every American who is taken is ours to fight for, and every American returned is a win for us all.”
“That is why we call on all of our supporters to both celebrate the wins and encourage the administration to continue to use every tool possible to bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home. #WeAreBG #BringThemHome,” concluded the message.
The reporter is currently being held in a pre-trial detention center at the Lefortovo prison until May 29. He faces espionage charges, which could result in up to 20 years in prison. Biden urged Russia to release Gershkovich on Friday (March 31), and the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the “targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable.”
Back in December 2022, Griner returned home to the U.S. following a high-profile prisoner exchange. She spent nearly 10 months in detention in Russia after being convicted on drug charges. She landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas on Dec. 9 and was reunited with her loved ones shortly afterward.
Read the full statement from Brittney Griner down below.
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