Efforts escalate to bring Phoenix Mercury star home from detention in Russia

Phoenix Mercury star, Brittney Griner, is being detained in Russia for allegedly having hash oil in her luggage, according to Russian police.

Rep. Greg Stanton discusses his efforts and efforts of the White House to bring Griner home. The White House has said they would trade an accused Russian drug dealer for Griner.

Rep. Stanton is leading a group to get a bi-partisan resolution passed demanding the immediate release of Griner because she has been wrongfully detained, Rep. Stanton said.

“This is a similar resolution that was passed on behalf of Trevor Reed, an American who was recently released from Russian jail,” Rep. Stanton said.

The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs is in communication with Russia to get Griner out of detention and back to the U.S. shortly, Rep. Stanton said.

Griner’s is in contact with her legal team regularly and has appeared in Russian courts multiple times since the beginning of her detention, Rep. Stanton said.

She has been detained for over 127 days and since the start of her detention, Russia has extended her stay with not much explanation as to why, according to Rep. Stanton.

Early on in Griner’s detention, the U.S. made the decision to keep a low profile and let the Russian government run its course, but since the discovery that she was wrongfully detained, Americans have chosen to speak up and get involved with bringing her home, Rep. Stanton said.

“I want to do everything I can to be supportive of the effort to bring our friend Brittney Griner home,” Rep. Stanton said.