The NBA season is in full swing now, but that doesn’t mean people haven’t forgot about the bigger picture, which is trying to keep the attention on Brittney Griner being freed from a Russian prison.
Brittney Griner was found guilty of drug charges in Russia and sentenced to 9 years of prison.
Vin Diesel was in attendance for one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ games in the Crypto.com Arena and decided to use his platform to send a message on Instagram involving Britney Griner.
In his post, Diesel stated how he’s supporting the cause for Griner’s release from a Russian prison:
“I need Brittney Griner home before Christmas,” the actor wrote in his caption.
In the photo, you can see LeBron James and Anthony Davis turning their heads to look at Diesel, who himself was giving a thumbs-up.
Stars like Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James have all called for her release.
American and Russian authorities are discussing the release of the WNBA star and former Marine Paul Whelan.
Whelan was arrested in 2018 after being accused of spying and sentenced in 2020 to 16 years. The Biden administration has already offered imprisoned Russian weapons trafficker Viktor Bout to the Kremlin in a potential prisoner swap deal.
A report just this week says the Phoenix Mercury ball player will be subject to conditions such as “homophobia, racism, and 16-hour work days.”
Griner was transported to Mordovia earlier this month, and The Nation sportswriter Dave Zirin stated Mordovia is known as “the land of prisons because it contains two dozen supermax prisons.” He noted that the environment is often “swampy” and “frigid.”
