The White House on Tuesday said US basketball star Brittney Griner was subjected to a sham court hearing in Russia and called for her immediate release after her appeal against a nine-year sentence on drug charges was rejected.
“We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
Sullivan said President Joe Biden insists Griner should be released immediately and had made clear to Moscow that the US government is “willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home.”
Biden told reporters later that his administration is in “constant contact with the Russian authorities” but is so far not meeting “positive” results.
“We’re not stopping,” he said.
