Online petition gets over 330,000 signatures demanding release of WNBA’s Brittney Griner
A Change.org petition is asking for people to tweet, call and email the White House to prioritize seeking the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was arrested in February and pleaded guilty last Thursday to possessing vape cartridges containing hashish oil at a Russian airport.
The 31-year-old basketball player is back in court July 14, to argue her case.
In the online petition, organized by Tamryn Spruill and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, they called Griner a “beloved global citizen” who has been using her platform to help her community.
“Pay inequity has led to Brittney Griner’s wrongful detention in Russia. Furthermore, as a decorated Olympian and member of an elite global sport community, Brittney’s detention must be resolved out of respect for the safety of all athletes traveling to compete internationally and the sanctity of sport,” the petition read. “It is imperative that the U.S. government immediately address this human rights issue and do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home quickly and safely.”
Griner, who was traveling from Moscow and has worked for the Russian EuroLeague Club UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2016, was arrested on Feb. 17. About two months later, officials said her arrest was classified as a wrongful detention and that the United States was seeking to negotiate her release.
“Like many athletes competing in the WNBA, Griner — a two-time Olympic gold medalist — plays abroad during the WNBA offseason for the love of the sport, but also in exchange for substantially bigger contracts, which are not available to women’s basketball players in the U.S.,” the petition said. “Professional athletes never know when their careers will come to an end. They must compete today with tomorrow’s financial security in mind. For more than half of the athletes in the WNBA, that means moving abroad for several months of the year.”
The petition, which was launched on March 5, has gained over 330,000 signatures so far. Its call of action is for supporters to call or email the White House “to bring Brittney Griner home swiftly and safely.”
