“I’m going to get her back” Former Governor expected to travel to Moscow to secure Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan’s release
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Brittney Griner, Bill Richardson
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, former governor Bill Richardson will likely visit Russia in the upcoming weeks to negotiate getting Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan released and returned to the United States. The former New Mexico governor and diplomat, who privately represents the families of hostages and prisoners, is planning a trip to Moscow at a time when pressure is growing on the US administration to promptly return the two Americans.
Richardson, 74, served over New Mexico as governor from 2003 until 2011. He has also held positions as the Secretary of the US Department of Energy, a member of the House of Representatives, and the US Ambassador to the UN. The US government believes that Whelan and Griner are both unlawfully detained, and both of their families have been collaborating with the charity Richardson Center.
Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia and the attempt to bring her back
Since February, Brittney Griner has been jailed in Russia, where authorities claim they discovered vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Griner, who earlier this month entered a guilty plea to a narcotics charge, may spend up to 10 years in prison. Experts generally agree that her decision to plead guilty was a wise one, given that 99 percent of court proceedings in Russia result in convictions and that pleading guilty can result in a more expedited release. On Thursday, she testified in court that she was rushing to pack and the cartridges unintentionally slid into her luggage as she had no intention of breaking the law.
Brittney Griner’s detention has been supported by the NBA and WNBA for almost three months, during which time she has received hundreds of emails and messages from players across the league. However, it has been reported that Russian officials have been reportedly checking Griner’s emails and letters before she even opens them, and she is required to respond either in writing or by dictation. While a spokesman for the US Embassy in Moscow said that Griner was in “excellent condition” when they visited her last month, it is unclear when she would be released. She might spend up to 10 years behind bars.
Richardson, who also held the roles of U.S. ambassador to the UN and energy secretary under the Clinton administration, contributed to the success of a prisoner swap in April that resulted in the release of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed from captivity after over 2.5 years. Russia has regularly shown interest in exchanging Griner for Russian prisoners being imprisoned in American jails. The latest trip appears to be intended to explore if Brittney Griner may benefit from an agreement similar to the one that released Reed.
Both the Griner family and the family of Paul Whelan, the second American Marine detained by Russia for three and a half years, are now being represented by Richardson. Whelan, a former Marine was detained in December 2018 on suspicion of espionage, which he firmly rejects. He received a 16-year jail term in June 2020 after a trial that US officials deemed unfair. Last week, President Joe Biden talked with Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, over the phone. He then responded to her letter to him, which was shown to her in court the previous week, by writing the star WNBA player a letter.
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Irvin Philip
(701 Articles Published)