In a handwritten letter from Britney Greiner Delivered to the White House on Monday, the WNBA player wrote how terrified she could be imprisoned in Russia “forever.”
Greiner’s wife, Cheryl, told CBS Mornings that when she read the letter, she felt the fear Greiner was experiencing.
Cheryl said, “She’s probably the strongest person I know, so she doesn’t say words like that lightly. It means she’s really terrified that she might never see us again. You know, I share the same feelings.”
Cheryl, who recently spoke to her wife through letters, said she feels Greiner decided to write to President Joe Biden directly because the family had no luck contacting him.
“It kills me every time, you know, when I have to write to her and she asks, ‘Have you met them yet?’ And I have to say no… I’m sure it’s like, “I’m going to write to him and ask him now because my family tried in vain, so I’m going to do it myself,” said Cheryl.
Even after delivering yesterday’s message, Cheryl said she hadn’t heard from Biden directly and said it was “very disappointing”.
Greiner arrested At a Moscow airport in February after officials in Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. A Russian judge ordered to remain in custody as Grenier, a Phoenix Mercury center who played in Russia during the WNBA off-season, ordered Grenier. If convicted of drug trafficking, Greiner could face 10 years in a Russian prison. to her The trial will resume On July 7.
Cheryl said when she first heard about the Russian government accusing Greener of “large-scale drug transport,” she didn’t believe it.
“It blew me away because I’m such a big size? I live with a BG every day, so there’s no possible way. So I knew it wasn’t true the moment I heard the accusation because I know my wife. No, it’s very unfortunate, you know,” she said. She’s in this situation because BG doesn’t do anything on a large scale in the drug trade. It was very difficult to hear that accusation.”
Greiner’s trial began last week after several delays. The photos of Griner entering the courtroom are some of the only visual photos Cherelle of Griner has seen. One of those pictures caused her anxiety and made her ask Griner if she was okay and if she was “crazy at this point”.
I wrote to her honestly and said ‘Hi honey, you know, I saw a picture of you, and I know there’s such a thing as publicity, but I have to ask, I’m inclined to ask… Are you okay?’ Are you crazy at this point? Understand that if you are, I still love you and when you come back, we will love you completely again, showing yourself a blessing. If you’re not crazy, please help my conscience and kind of tell me, you know, some context about the photo,” Cheryl remembered the question.
Cheryl said Britney responded, “I was pretty weak in that moment. But I promise I’m not crazy, not yet.”
The US State Department, which has been working with Cheryl, said it had determined Britney was being unjustly detained.
Cheryl said she is working carefully to ensure her wife is released from prison and returned to the United States.
“First I was told, ‘You know, we’re going to try to be conservative, we’re going to try and deal with this behind the scenes and let’s not overvalue you and you know to keep quiet.’ You know, I’ve done that and respectfully, we’re over 140 days at this point,” Cheryl said. “So I won’t be calm anymore. I’m going to find that balance, you know, the damage versus helping push our government to do everything possible because calm, they don’t move, they don’t do anything. The wife is struggling and we have to help her.”
