Brittney Griner was released from prison on December 8 after she was found guilty of being in possession of drugs. She was caught with vape with hash cartridges which she argued was for medical reasons. President Joe Biden decided to trade the ‘Merchant of Death’, Viktor Bout, a Russian arm dealer, in exchange of Griner. The WNBA star took to her Instagram on Wednesday and shared a note urging for Paul Wheelan’s return. He is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship.
An overhwhelmed Griner wrote, “Thanks to the efforts of many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months. 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. Your letters helped me to not lose hope during a time where I was full of regret and vulnerable in many ways I could have never imagined. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Because of you I never lost hope. Your letters were also bigger than uplifting me. They showed me the power of collective hands. Together, we can do hard things. I’m living proof of that.”
Brittney Griner wants Paul Wheelan to return
After thanking her fans and people who were vocal about her support, she swerved the topic toward helping Paul Wheelan. She wrote “My family is whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together. However, there remain too many families with loved ones wrongfully detained.” The 32-year-old, two-time Olympian was etained at the Moscow airport. Asking for support for Whelan, she extended a hand out to all those who have been wrongly incarcerated.
She continued, “Those families stood alongside you and all who supported the WeAreBG Campaign to bring me home and it’s our turn to support them. 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.” She continued wishing a happy holiday season to her followers and concluded, “Thank you again from the bottom of my heart, I hope your holiday season is full of joy and love.”
Several news outlets reported that Wheelan’s $80,000 in cash was temporarily confiscated during a customs inspection. This happened at Domodedovo Airport. He was later apprehended in his hotel. Paul Wheelan was arrested in Russia on December 18, 2020, by the Russian Federal Security Service. Moreover, was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow on June 15, 2020.
