Cherelle Griner said that her wife Brittney Griner, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is being held hostage in her first interview since a Russian court sentenced Brittney to nine years in prison for drug possession in August.
On its face, it just seems like my wife is a hostage, said Gayle King, co-host of CBS Mornings. How do I know if my government and the foreign government are sitting down and negotiating for her release? The interview comes just three weeks before a Russian court is expected to hear Brittney's appeal against her nine-year prison sentence, which Russian forces handed down after allegedly finding her in a Moscow airport with cannabis-derived vape cartridges in February.
Brittney's defense argued that she used cannabis to treat injuries. Brittney, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, had been in Russia to play with a Russian Premier League women's team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, a common practice for WNBA players who can earn four to five times their salaries in the U.S.
Cherelle, who has a legal degree, told King that she believes a crime should warrant a punishment, but that it must be balanced. She said it tears me to pieces to see that this is not balanced for my wife right now.
Cherelle has twice spoken to Brittney by phone while she has been in jail, she said in the interview. She described the more recent phone call as the most disturbing phone call I've ever had. Cherelle said she was not okay and that her wife spent 30 seconds to two minutes on the call crying.
She said that if you think about a person suffering, and when they have suffered to a max, you could hear that she was at the max that day.
Cherelle said she didn't know if Britney had anything left in her tank to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one. Cherelle said she cried for two to three days after the call and barely got out of bed.
Cherelle said Brittney is at her weakest moment in her life, ahead of her Oct. 25 hearing. She is very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia or just completely ignored, because she s likes, '' my life just don't matter no more, she told King.
The situation is that once the hearing is completed and the order is completed, she's now in the position where she could be moved to a labor camp. Cherelle said that my brain can't fathom it.
She told King that she believes President Biden, who has spoken to Cherelle on the phone and in person, is doing what he can to secure her wife's release, but she believes doing so would ultimately require Putin's cooperation.
I feel like at this point it is going to take Putin to have that same mindset and say, "You know what, Brittney Griner, who came to my country for seven, eight years and helped my country be recognized through sport, paid taxes in my country, helped my country." She said I'm going to sit at a table, and I'm going to be clear about what I need to do in return for her release so that we can actually get a meeting of the minds between these two governments.
After Griner s sentencing, Russia said it was ready to discuss the possibility of a swap, but U.S. officials said the Russians have yet to come up with a serious counteroffer.