Tuesday 5 July 2022 04:36 PM Brittney Griner's wife makes another plea for Biden to help release her from ... trends now
Brittney Griner's wife says she will no longer 'be quiet' as she pleads for President Biden to help release the WNBA star from a Russian jail after nearly five months of detention.
Her plea comes just one day after the athlete wrote a letter to the president saying she is 'terrified I might be here forever.'
Cherelle Griner has been working to get her wife out of jail since she was taken into custody in February after being arrested for allegedly having cannabis oil. She was charged with 'large scale transportation of drugs' and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Cherelle said there was 'no way possible' her wife could have done that. She also revealed that the Biden Administration originally told her they would 'handle [Brittney's arrest] behind the scenes' and to 'stay quiet.'
'I did that, and respectfully, we're over 140 days at this point, that does not work,' she told CBS Mornings on Tuesday. 'I will not be quiet anymore, I will find that balance between harm versus help and push our government to do everything that's possible.'
![Cherelle Griner was originally told by the Biden Administration that they would 'handle [Brittney's arrest] behind the scenes' and told her to 'stay quiet.' She said: 'I did that, and respectfully, we're over 140 days at this point, that does not work. I will not be quiet anymore'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/07/05/16/59888771-10983717-Cherelle_Griner_was_originally_told_by_the_Biden_Administration_-a-18_1657034937598.jpg)
Cherelle Griner was originally told by the Biden Administration that they would 'handle [Brittney's arrest] behind the scenes' and told her to 'stay quiet.' She said: 'I did that, and respectfully, we're over 140 days at this point, that does not work. I will not be quiet anymore'
'Being quiet, they are not moving, they are not doing anything. My wife is struggling and we have to help her.'
Cherelle also noted that she has not heard from the Biden Administration since Griner's letter, where she begged Biden for her freedom and expressed fear for that she might not ever leave.
'As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I'm terrified I might be here forever,' Griner wrote in a letter to Biden.
Brittney Griner, 31, (pictured on Friday) has been in jail since she was taken into custody in February after being arrested for allegedly having cannabis oil. She was charged with 'large scale transportation of drugs' and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted
Cherelle said there was 'no way possible' her wife was largely transporting anything. Griner wrote to President Biden on July 4, asking him not to forget about her and the other American detainees. She also said she was 'terrified I might be here forever'
The letter was not released publicly, but excerpts were provided to DailyMail.com by a spokesman at Wasserman, the agency that represents Griner.
The six-foot-nine Phoenix Mercury star also referenced her father, a retired Houston sheriff who served in the Marines.
'On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran,' she continued. 'It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.
'I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American Detainees,' Griner wrote. 'Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you.
'I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.'
When asked about the photo of Griner appearing frightened (pictured), Cherelle said her wife was 'startled' by the amount of media present when she turned the corner and said she was 'not yet' insane
Cherelle said she believed Griner wrote the letter to Biden because of the 'failed attempt we have had as a family' to get her home.
'It kills me every time I have to write her and she's asking: "Have you met with him yet?" And I have to say no,' she told CBS Mornings.
When asked about photos of Brittney looking startled at one of her recent court dates, Cherelle said they 'terrified' her.
'I honestly wrote her and I was like: "Hey, honey, I saw a picture of you and I know that there's such thing as propaganda, but I have to ask: Are you okay? Are you insane at this point?"
'I told her that: "Understand that if you are, I still love you, and when you come back, we will love you back whole, show yourself grace. But if you're not insane, could you please help my conscience, could you tell me more context about this picture."'
Griner reportedly told her wife that she was 'weak' at the moment, but 'not yet' insane. She also reportedly said she was 'startled' by the amount of media present when she turned the corner.
Griner's letter was sent to Biden, who has not indicated if he's willing to do a prisoner swap. Cherelle also said she has not heard from Biden since the letter
Griner went on trial on Friday, four-and-a-half months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play from a Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, in a case that has unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.
The initial session of the trial offered the first public glimpse of Griner since the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time US Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo
