WNBA star and Olympian Brittney Griner, who has been held in Russia for nearly a year, advised Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to “not lose hope” after he was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison on espionage charges.
“I’ve been through it, and I know what it means,” Griner said. He said in an interview “We have to bring him back, we have to,” he added, speaking to NBC News on Friday after the sentence was handed down.
“The fight is on and we are trying,” she continued. “We don’t know when that day will come, but let’s not lose hope.”
It’s been more than a year since Griner was released from Russian custody in a prisoner swap in late 2022. The Biden administration released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout (aka “The Merchant of Death”) in exchange for a basketball player who was arrested on drug trafficking charges while playing in the Russian Premier League.
US authorities determined that she had been “unfairly detained” after sentencing her to nine years in prison. She spent a month in a Russian prison before being released.
Griner made a successful return to the United States, giving birth to a baby boy with his wife, Sherrell, returning to the Phoenix Mercuries roster and earning a spot on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team.
Gershkovich has been in custody since his arrest in March 2023 and accused of collecting Russian military secrets on behalf of the U.S. government.
Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated his willingness to agree to a prisoner swap in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in February. It is unclear how the ruling will affect potential exchange talks between Russia and the United States.
Griner detailed his life in a Russian prison to The New York Times in May, saying he used to clean his teeth and body on torn T-shirts, took up smoking to cope with stress and had suicidal thoughts.
“Stay strong, stay strong,” Griner, who has campaigned for the release of other Americans held overseas, told Gershkovich on Friday.
