As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. B.G. All Rights Reserved. "On its face it just seems like my wife is a hostage. ", Ethan Miller/Getty Cherelle and Brittney Griner. "It tears me to pieces to see that this is not balanced for my wife right now. According to Tolokonnikova, the sewing machines are "so old" that they inevitably result in injuries to prisoners. There are no immediate plans for local celebrations out of respect for Griners recovery, but Houstonians are ecstatic, said Harris County Commissioner and longtime lawmaker Rodney Ellis. "So, thank you everybody to theirsupport and today is a happy dayfor me and my family, but I'mgoing to smile right now.". After she visited in April, Ms. Kalugina said, she reported to the commission that Ms. Griner needed a longer bed and she was able to lodge a request with the authorities. Facing nine years in prison in Russia, the U.S. basketball star is struggling emotionally and worried that a swap deal to release her may not materialize, according to one of her attorneys. North Korea Wants Dollars. She needs time to heal, said Foley, who met Griners wife and family during their collective effort to bring Americans detained abroad home. But as she noted, "there are somany other families who are notwhole" and remain in captivity, including American businessman Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018. Despite Mr. Richardsons past successes in freeing Americans in places like North Korea and Myanmar, U.S. officials have publicly discouraged such private negotiations, saying that they are not helpful to their efforts. "What I would suggest to Brittney if I could [would be] to not work at the sweatshops. Now, some 10 years later, the musician advises that Griner take her incarceration "minute to minute because you never know when you're gonna get attacked. Prisoner trade deal: Her release was part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. He said that it was very difficult for Ms. Griner to speak to her relatives. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser! No. Dixon cautioned U.S. citizens traveling and living abroad to take note of this moment in global politics. It was the most disturbing phone call I've ever experienced. Mr. Boykov said that the uncertainty over which type of prison Ms. Griner would end up in is a particular concern, as she fears it will be one with miserable or inhumane conditions. seek information on a wide variety of topics including African-American hair care, health issues, relationship ?. Ms. Griners lawyer Alexandr D. Boykov, center, speaking after the verdict in August. Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout crossed paths on a UAE airport tarmac in the hours after the United States and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap and the moment was all captured on video. The WNBA superstar was moved to female penal colony No. Before the appeals court hearing, Mr. Boykov said that he hoped Ms. Griners nine-year sentence, which he called an unprecedented punishment for marijuana possession, would be reduced. ", "We do understand that there arestill people out here who areenduring what I endure the lastnine months of missingtremendously their loved ones," Cherelle added. "I'm terrified that Brittney Griner was moved to IK-2," Tolokonnikova told MSNBC. Cherelle Griner is speaking candidly about her wife Brittney's mental state as she remains locked up in a Russian prison. Exactly, this is my life, and so Im sitting there like, Do we get her back? To see, has she suffered enough. Prisoners are expected to perform manual labor including tasks like cooking, cleaning, and sewing for "up to 17 hours a day" without breaks or days off. Sadly, Cherelle revealed that after the hearting, her wife could be moved to a labor camp somewhere near Russia. Brittney Griner is struggling emotionally ahead of her hearing later this month to appeal her nine year prison sentence for drug possession. Tolokonnikova went on to describe "slave-like conditions" within the 820-woman capacity facility in Yavas. For now, Griner will be at Brooke Army Medical Center, the countrys largest military hospital, home to the Defense Departments only Level 1 trauma center. I want to thank President Biden for yesterdays meeting as well as the Administration for its efforts to secure my wifes release, she wrote in the caption. When it is hot outside, its too hot, and when its cold outside, it is too cold.. News App. Shes very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia, or just completely used to the point of her detriment, Cherelle said, noting how on one call, her wife told her that she felt like her life doesnt matter., Like, yall dont see the need to get me back home? Ms. Kalugina said that in Ms. Griners lockup, a pretrial detention center inside Correctional Colony No. (@cherelletgriner). This has been a long ordeal, one not of her making but of the making of a despot. U.S. officials on the ground described her as being in good spirits and said she was grateful to be home. Valerie Hopkins reported from Moscow, and Michael Crowley from Washington. Everything is possible, he said. She also said that, when they met, Ms. Griner had told her she was suffering from pain including headaches. Ms. Griner, right, with her wife, Cherelle, after the Phoenix Mercury won a W.N.B.A. Ms. Griner, 31, was stopped in February at an airport near Moscow on her way to play for UMMC Yekaterinburg, a Russian professional womens basketball team. "And so today I am just standinghere overwhelmed with emotions,but the most important emotionthat I have right now is justsincere gratitude for President Biden and his entireadministration. Ms. Griner was also reading a biography of the rock band the Rolling Stones, Ms. Kalugina said, adding that she sometimes also played a game with her cellmates that is similar to the board game Battleship. The Russians were not willing to negotiate in good faith for Paul Whelan. Black women Ethan Miller/Getty Images Defense lawyers for the former Phoenix Mercury star said she had been prescribed cannabis oil for pain. The fact that everything is so unprecedented and everything is like, changeable, I think is a really good word. It was an honor to speak with him directly about the Brittney we know and love. exchange her for high-profile Russian citizens, Russia portrayed him as an innocent victim of American injustice. But I will gladly speak on herbehalf to say B.G. Now, the 31-year-olds wife has spoken publicly for the first time about the verdict. calls Russias invasion a brutal wake-up for Putin says Ukraine war may be long process but cites serious gains, Russias using dark tankers to evade Western oil sanctions, War has tamed Ukraines oligarchs, creating space for democratic change, Russian disinformation is demonizing Ukrainian refugees, As Finland and Sweden wait to join NATO, Turkey extracts concessions. "B.G. It's a Sign of Trouble. Cherelle Griner is thankful that after months of captivity, her wife Brittney Griner is finally on her way home. And if they don't meet those standards, Tolokonnikova says they'll "be punished, and that includes torture and that includes daily torture.". The push to bring Griner back involved the highest echelons of government but also local leaders in Texas who saw her plight as a hometown cause. The exchange was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, a close security partner of the United States that has also welcomed many Russians after sanctions were levied on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine. Supporters worried that because she is considered a leader in Black and LGBTQ communities, she would become target of abuse while detained in Russia, where the government has a record of hostility toward sexual minorities. Email Or Call (888) 847-9869 Old news is old news! They didn't rape me. I was like, 'That's the most disturbing conversation. It was the most disturbing phone call Id ever experienced, she told the interviewer, Gayle King, adding that her wife worried about being abandoned in Russia. You might think for a second that if I'm gonna follow the rules, then my life is gonna be better, but in fact, those conditions are horrific.". Do I ever get to see my wife again? THANK GOD BRITTNEYS FREE, the singer wrote. He had been imprisoned in a federal penitentiary in Marion, Ill., in a special, restrictive unit dubbed Little Guantnamo.. The one-for-one prisoner arrangement is a holdover from the Cold War. But American officials have said that U.S. government efforts in that case were led by John Sullivan, the ambassador to Russia at the time, and by the team of Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. 1 on my list of priorities around the world is doing everything we can to bring home any American, anywhere, whos being arbitrarily or unjustly detained, Mr. Blinken told a news conference in Santiago, Chile, this month, urging Moscow to accept the substantial proposal Washington put on the table months ago. Later this month, Brittney will find out whether or not she will be released from Russian prison. A Russian musician who spent 2 years in a penal colony told MSNBC what Griner should expect. Some will break your heart, others will enlighten you. Perhaps the verdict will somehow be changed and, perhaps, the sentence will be reduced, because the decision taken by the first court is very different from judicial practice, he said. Her cell, shared with two other prisoners, has a specially elongated bed to accommodate her 6-foot-9 frame, her lawyer said. Brittney Griner has been moved to a Russian penal colony where she'll serve her 9-year prison sentence. On Dec. 8, Brittney was freed in a prisoner swap that saw the U.S. return Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was 11 years into a 25-year sentence, to Russia. She is praying that her Brittney will be able to celebrate her 32nd birthday on Oct. 18 back home in the United States. Official shares details on Brittney Griner's flight back to the U.S. Outpouring of support for WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, Phoenix Suns 'grateful' for Brittney Griner's return to United States, A Message to President Biden: No Prisoner Swap Needed to FREE Leonard Peltier, SNL Breaks Down Why Brittney Griner Deal Was Actually a Great Trade. I feel like every day Im hearing something new, and so its just.. its terrifying.. And in comments aired on Russian state television, President Vladimir Putin characterized Griners release as an isolated instance in which the two nations had come to an agreement. Y'all don't see the need to get me back home? And so it was either Brittney Griner, one American or no American.. 1, women were allowed to shower twice a week. "She's 32 years old. 341; Old news is old news! She has not been in as good condition as I could sometimes find her in, the lawyer, Alexandr D. Boykov, said in a recent interview. And, let's say, you're being tortured and go to prison doctors to document the fact that you've been tortured, obviously, they do not see anything and are not witnesses of your torture. The first occasion was the April release of Trevor Reed, a 30-year-old US veteran. ", Cherelle added that her wife is "at her absolute weakest moment right now. I justthe minute I hung up, I think I cried for about 2, 3 days straight. "I didn't have words because at this point, I'm like, I don't know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one. is Brittney Griner, I do think this got really complicated really quickly," Cherelle told King. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. Griners arrest days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February highlighted the ordeal of U.S. citizens detained abroad by hostile foreign governments. Putin needed the swap to appear equitable and probably rejected any proposals to exchange two valued prisoners Griner and Whelan for one Russian on the grounds that hard-liners in his government would dispute it, the analyst said. Six months later, she was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison on charges of smuggling drugs into the country, a decision her lawyers called "absolutely unreasonable." 2022 E! Brittney has a really strong support system, and Im hopeful her recovery will be complete and quicker than others.. "Brittney Griner's birthday is today," Curry says. Cherelle Griner is thankful that after months of captivity, her wife Brittney Griner is finally on her way home. Griner was released Thursday in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the merchant of death. Bout had served less than half of a 25-year sentence in Illinois for conspiring to kill American nationals and selling weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) insurgent group. Thats why I pled guilty to my charges, she stated in court, I understand everything thats been said against me, the charges that are against me and that is why I pled guilty but I had no intents to break any Russian laws., According to PEOPLE, Griners lawyers say her sentencing is absolutely unreasonable and that they will certainly file an appeal.. Cherelle also went on to acknowledge the "many hands involved" in securing the athlete's release, including Vice President Kamala Harris and theNational Security Council, among other officials. RELATED CONTENT: Brittney Griner Wishes Wife Good Luck On The Bar Exam As Her Trial In Russia Resumes. ", "I was protesting terrible conditions in my penal colony," she added, referring to the notorious IK-14 just a few miles away. "But I know every single chief official who works at IK-2, and I know exactly what human rights abuses they perform on a daily basis and the kind of torture they use against prisoners.". Its an old building, and made of stone, he noted. She described an instance in which the needle pierced her finger, leaving her "covered in blood" but still being forced to sew uniforms for police officers and Russian military officials. Brittney's lawyers soon filed an appeal, and hearings for that will begin Oct. 25. Griner's wife, Cherelle, gives her first televised interview since BG was detained. Unfortunately, rape happens in IK-2 as well. Per standard procedure for freed U.S. prisoners, Griner was expected to quickly undergo a medical evaluation. In her first interview since Brittney's sentencing, Cherelle spoke with CBS Morning's Gayle King and voiced her concern about her wife's ordeal, saying Brittney is a "hostage.". Anyone can read what you share. We sincerely thank you all for the kind words, thoughts and prayers including Paul and the Whelan family who have been generous with their support for Brittney and our family during what we know is a heartbreaking time, Griners family said in a statement obtained by ESPN. It was an oblique reference to a proposed swap of Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Ive felt every minute of the grueling seven months without her. A month after US basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, its still not clear exactly where shes being held.. Mr. Boykov said that the prison was dated and uncomfortable. Only she will know how traumatized she is from the horror of it all. WNBA star Brittney Griner freed in US-Russia prisoner swap WATCH: 1-year-old girl accidentally locked inside car frees herself under mom's direction. Fierce claims to Crimea highlight slim chance of Russia-Ukraine peace deal, Russia sends soldiers to war but ignores mental trauma they bring home. Shes safe, said Biden, who was flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Griners wife Cherelle Griner. Her full interview with MSNBC is available below: NASA's Orion capsule blazes home from test flight to moon, containing less than a gram of cannabis oil, A baby whose anti-vax parents rejected heart surgery over fear of 'blood that is tainted' had the life-saving surgery anyway after a court intervened, Nurses at Atlanta hospital under fire over TikTok video mocking maternity patients. Customs officials said that she had been carrying two vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. We need to have conversations about how we are viewed around the world and what we can do to improve that and keep all of us safe.. Edward Wong contributed reporting from Washington. The 32-year-old's release comes almost a year after her February 2021 arrest at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport for allegedly possessing vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage. During the Soviet years, he said, Kremlin leaders worried about the impact the prolonged detention of Westerners would have on their image. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! She's a hostage," Cherelle said. She suffers a lot without her family because she hasnt seen them for so long and its very difficult to talk to them in any way, Mr. Boykov said, adding that it had been very difficult to organize phone calls with Ms. Griners wife, Cherelle, and that she had been unable to speak to her parents or siblings since her detention, as far as he was aware. Mr. Richardson, who has been unofficially negotiating with Russian officials as a private citizen, said on Sunday that he was cautiously optimistic that Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan would be released and suggested that they could be freed by the end of the year. But theres another party in this situation, and we also are dealing with the need for Russia to have mercy on B.G. I hope this unites Americans around the fact that we need to protect each other, and to recognize we are living in a difficult time internationally, he said. In his first interview with Russian media, Bout said he could not find the words to describe how he was feeling but downplayed how significant his release was to Russia. The WNBA center's wife Cherelle Griner told CBS' Gayle King that the events have been playing out "like a movie" to her. Officials in Washington said that they had not given up on negotiations for Ms. Griner and other Americans that the U.S. authorities have designated as wrongfully detained, including Paul Whelan, who has been in a Russian prison for almost four years on espionage charges that the former U.S. ambassador to Moscow derided as bogus., Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the return of Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan had his full attention and that the State Department was focused on it every single day.. But he also left the door open to similar resolutions on other cases. Never miss a story sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "What I'm really scared of is Brittney hiding the fact that she is being heavily oppressed in this penal colony, because that's what happened with me," Tolokonnikova continued. It has been punishing and miserable but she is resilient and so happy to be home and be with her wife.. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert, meanwhile, said the concern over Griners imprisonment had turned into a collective wave of joy and relief. But she also turned the focus back to other Americans detained abroad. I dont know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one.. But while Griners release was being celebrated, others noted the unevenness of the prisoner swap. Cherelle Griner said she is terrified that she wont get her partner, WNBA star Brittney Griner, back from her detention in Russia, and said that she feels like shes stuck in a movie. Brittney Griners Wife Gives Troubling Troubling Update On Her Mental Health While In Russian Prison September 17, 2022 @1:47pm (Updated: November 28, 2022 @7:34pm) 15K+ She is in her ninth month in detention, with a hearing about the appeal of her conviction scheduled for Oct. 25. Who is Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine held in Russia? Brittney Griner at a court outside Moscow in August. Holding on to her too long might have been something the Russians were not so eager to do.. Make time for stories that embrace nuance and complexity. Ms. Griner is allowed outside once a day, Mr. Boykov said, during which she walks for an hour in a small courtyard at a penal colony outside Moscow where she was detained after a Russian court convicted her on drug possession charges. Bill Richardson, a former ambassador to the United Nations who runs a nongovernmental group that works to free American prisoners and hostages overseas, landed in Moscow the day before Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February to discuss Mr. Reed, who was released on April 27 after being detained in Russia for 985 days. 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