Brittney Griner Pleas For Fans To Write Paul Whelan Letters As He Remains Detained In Russia After Her Prisoner Swap Release
Dec. 22 2022, Published 5:30 p.m. ET
Newly freed former Russian prisoner Brittney Griner made an emotional plea to her fans. The professional basketball player asked her supporters to write letters to Paul Whelan — who holds U.S. citizenship and remains behind bars in Russia after the Biden administration failed to secure his release in their prisoner swap for the WNBA player, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On December 9, Griner, 32, was finally released from the Russian penal camp — where she was set to carry out her 9-year sentence for a drug trafficking offense — after a high-profile swap was made in exchange for her freedom.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after authorities discovered a hashish oil pen in her luggage.
The professional athlete is now using her controversial story to advocate for others wrongfully imprisoned overseas.
In a post made to her Instagram, Griner shared a letter she wrote to Whelan, 52.
Whelan was accused of espionage by Russian authorities and was sentenced to 16 years in 2018. Russia suggested that Whelan's price for release was far greater than Griner's, which resulted in a one-or-none deal for the U.S. that allowed her to come home after 10 agonizing months.
"Thanks to the efforts of many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months," Griner began her letter to Whelan. "You took time to show me you cared and i want to personally take the time to write to you and say that your effort mattered."
Griner continued the heartfelt letter with a call to action, letting Whelan know he was not forgotten.
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"Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in ways I could have never imagined," Griner continued. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Because of you I never lost hope."
She then called on fans to support Whelan.
"Your letters were also bigger than uplifting me. They showed me the power of collective hands. Together we can do hard things," the letter read. "I'm living proof of that."
The native Texan made sure that Whelan knew advocacy work was underway to keep his story in the public eye.
"Those families stood alongside you and all who supported the #WeAreBG campaign to bring me home, and it's our turn to support them," Griner wrote as she directly addressed her base.
"I hope you'll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families."
Griner captioned the post with a simple yet profound statement: "Thank you. Your words matter."
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