The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), is urging President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrange for him and a group of faith leaders to meet with jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner in Russia. His call comes just hours after Griner sent a handwritten plea for freedom to President Biden, in which she expressed fear she’ll never see the United States again.
Over the last month, Sharpton has urged the Biden administration to step up efforts to free the two-time Olympic gold medalist. The Phoenix Mercury center was arrested at a Moscow Airport in February on what are now considered politicized drug charges amid growing tensions between the Kremlin and Washington.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, appeared on “Keepin’ It Real with Al Sharpton” last week, during which she suggested the WNBA All-Star has struggled over more than four months of detainment.