W. N B A star Britney Griner appeared in a Russian court today and
had her detention extended six months. The court also set a trial
date for this Friday. July 1st Russian officials accused her of cannabis
oil possession, but the U. S. Says she's wrongfully detained.
We want to say something. In her first appearance in a Russian court
in six weeks, Brittney Griner didn't say a word
You feel time Olympic gold medalist towered over her police escort,
leaving a preliminary hearing outside Moscow. Griner was detained
at Moscow's airport just days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russian officials accused her of carrying Vape cartridges with cannabis
oil and charge her with large scale drug transportation. If convicted,
she faces 10 years in prison. The U. S special presidential envoy
for Hostage affairs is tasked with her case. Russian officials recently
raised the possibility of a prisoner swap.
Griner for notorious arms trader Victor Boot. Nicknamed the Merchant
of Death. He's serving a 25 year sentence after being found guilty
by a U. S Court of conspiracy to kill Americans and providing aid
to terrorist organizations.
Supporters are pushing the Biden administration to do more to get
her released
here for using the hashtag. We RBG. She's been, uh
Over there for an extended amount of time.
And we feel like enough is enough more than 30, civil and human rights
organizations wrote a letter to President Biden urging him to make
a deal and bring Griner home And joining me now is the leader of
one of those groups that signed that letter. Sarah Kate Ellis is
the president and CEO of glad and advocacy organization.
Dedicated to countering LGBT Q discrimination. Sarah Kate Ellis,
Welcome to the news hour. So you were one of the organizations that
signed onto this letter, which asks the administration to make a
deal. Why
We're deeply concerned about Brittany, the treatment that she's having
over there. She's been detained there now for 100 and 30 days. She's
been away from her wife, her family, her teammates.
Um and Brittany is an American hero. She's a wife. Like I said a
daughter, a sister or friend. She's an anti bullying advocate, an
Olympian and a W. N B a star superstar.
Um, we want her brought home and brought home quickly and swiftly.
And we understand that the Biden administration is working on this
and we want to keep on all the pressure that we can. We hope that
this will get brought to a conclusion quickly.
Why do you believe it's worth a deal? Even if that deal is for somebody
as we just reported a notorious arms dealer convicted in the U. S
Court of conspiracy to kill Americans and 18 terrorist organizations.
I would say that Brittany is I'm not into the deal making and I'm
not going to make a deal Whose whose life is more valuable here.
But I What I do know is who Britney is as a person and an upstanding
citizen. And and, you know, one of the reasons all the conversations
we're having today. One of the reasons she was over there in Russia
is her love of basketball.
But also I mean the base salary for a male, Um, NBA player is $5
million. The base for W. N b a player. A female is $120,000. So this
was a means for her to continue to supplement her income. And I think
when you see that there is this pay enormous pay gap that drove her
there in the first place.
Is It's a horrible thing, and and we need to see this resolved quickly
and soon. Questions of equity, of course. Also questions of discrimination
inside Russia. The LGBTQ community has been vilified, prosecuted.
Persecuted as well by the Kremlin. Are you worried about her safety?
Absolutely 100%. Russia is not a safe place for LGBT Q people. We've
known that for a very long time, and we want to see Britney brought
back.
Home for that reason, as well, Um you know, she we
I think that
That puts her in a more dangerous situation. And, um, I think that
that we worry about her safety. Do you fear that her detention is
motivated as much by uh much as much by the kind of Kremlin's anti
LGBTQ policy as it is any kind of Russian attempt to gain leverage
over the U. S.
The main the the
The big thing about Russia is there is no transparency, and so you
never know what is really happening or why anything is really happening
and what the motivation is. The truth is very far detached, oftentimes
from Russian manipulation, and so we don't know what's going on,
and that makes it even more worrisome for her wife and her family
and her teammates and her friends.
Um, it's It's very worrisome because we there is no transparency
and and Russia is not a safe place for LGBT Q. People and quickly
I've got about 45 seconds Life Left grinders. Wife has spoken to
Secretary Blinken, but not to President Biden. I know that's been
a specific request. Have you heard it all from the White House?
We haven't heard from the White House. But I have complete confidence
that they are working on this manner and that they are going to get
a speedy, um, decision and and get Brittany home to us.
Sarah Kate Ellis. Thank you very much.
Thank you.