White House says Brittney Griner has ‘the President’s full attention’ as Biden leaves for NATO meeting in Spain
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White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the continued incarceration of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner has President Biden’s full attention.
“It has the full attention of the President and every senior member of his national security and diplomatic teams. And we are actively working to find a resolution to this case and will do so without pause until we get Brittney home safely,” Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One as Biden travels to Spain for a NATO meeting.
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Sullivan said he and Secretary of State Antony Blinken both spoke to Griner’s wife, Cherelle, to “express our deepest sympathy, to convey that we can’t even begin to imagine what the family is going through, what Brittney is going through.”
On Monday, Griner’s sentence was extended by six months pending the outcome of a trial scheduled to begin this Friday, July 1.
Sullivan reiterated to reporters that Griner was “wrongly” and “unjustly” imprisoned and that the White House is working on her release but won’t go into detail, according to The Hill.
Griner’s appearance before a Russian court on Monday marked the first time the two-time Olympic gold medalist has been seen in public, other than her booking photo. Arrested at a Moscow airport on February 17 for allegedly having cannabis oil in her suitcase, Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Last week, a Putin spokesman said Griner was not a hostage but had violated Russian law.
Is a deal in the works?
Numerous organizations and individuals have urged Biden to broker a deal with Russia for Griner’s release, like the one that brought home US Marine Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.
Some believe that Moscow uses Griner to exert pressure for this very reason.
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“This may sound counterintuitive, but the study is a crucial part of the process. Russians must continue to pretend this is a legitimate arrest. There is no reason to believe that the charges are legitimate or that their trial will be fair. But if and when she is convicted, the Russians will have made clear their credible alternative to a deal to bring her home,” said Dr. Danielle Gilbert, assistant professor of military and strategic studies at the US Air Force Academy, told ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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