It’s been four months since WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from a Russian penal camp.
The whole fiasco has now inspired the basketball star to continue to fight for the release of U.S. citizens being held captive in Russia.
Griner, 32, made a surprise cameo at Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network’s Women’s Empowerment Luncheon in NYC this week, where she spoke to the crowd, TMZ reported.
“I want to continue to fight to bring home every American detained overseas. That means everything to me,” Griner said.
Griner received a harsh sentence–9 years–in a Russian prison after a drug charge conviction. It took ten long months and a swap for Viktor Bout before Russia agreed to release her on December 8.
Following Griner’s release, many slammed the U.S. government for not getting back U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
On Thursday, Griner mentioned Whelan and several other Americans who are still overseas.
Thursday’s keynote speaker, U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also discussed the importance of bringing back “Every single American who’s being unjustly detained.”
