MOSCOW, Russia — WNBA star Brittney Griner has an appeal hearing scheduled one week from Tuesday. She plans to appeal her nine-year prison sentence in Russia.
She celebrated her 32nd birthday in a Russian jail on Tuesday.
Griner also released a statement through her attorney, saying, "Thank you everyone for fighting so hard to get me home. All the support and love are definitely helping me."
The Phoenix Mercury star was arrested and accused of having hashish oil in her baggage in February. She pleaded guilty to the drug charges in July.
On Tuesday, the WNBA tweeted its support of Griner on her birthday, saying, “We will not forget about you and will not stop fighting for you.”
“I’ve felt every moment of the grueling seven months without her,” wife Cherelle Griner said in a video as part of the #WeAreBG campaign.
President Joe Biden met with Cherelle Griner at the White House last month. He also sat down with Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan, another American currently imprisoned in Russia. The Biden administration said in July that it had made a “substantial proposal” to get them home.
The administration has not provided specifics about its proposal, but a person familiar with the matter previously confirmed it had offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the U.S.
Cherelle Griner said the president is “doing what he can, but there’s another party in this situation.” She said it’s going to take Russian President Vladimir Putin changing his mindset.
Former tennis player Billie Jean King also shared a message on Twitter on Tuesday, saying, “Let’s continue to advocate for her release and bring her home.”
Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., wrote, “Brittney, I am grateful for your life. I pray that you do not lose heart, as we are advocating for your release and return home.”
The #WeAreBG campaign is asking supporters to write notes for Griner for her birthday.
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