President Joe Biden vowed Tuesday that his administration will continue its efforts to free American basketball star Brittney Griner, who’s been saddled with a nine-year prison sentence in Russia despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring her home.
“We are in constant contact with Russian authorities to get Brittney and others out,” Biden said at a press briefing, referencing both the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury star and other Americans in custody of the Kremlin, which is known for taking political prisoners.
His remarks came hours after a Moscow court upheld Griner’s sentence, which Russian authorities handed down in August.
“So far, we have not been meeting with much positive response, but we’re not stopping,” Biden promised.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who was on her way to play with the Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason, was first detained at a Russian airport in February after authorities found cartridges containing less than a gram of hashish…
