Former US Marine Paul Whelan Praises Brittney Griner for Advocacy During Russian Captivity

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan has publicly expressed gratitude towards basketball star Brittney Griner for her efforts in advocating for his freedom from Russian detention. In an upcoming interview with CBS‘s ‘Face the Nation,’ Whelan detailed how Griner’s advocacy efforts supported him after she was released from Russian custody.

Whelan told host Margaret Brennan, “Within days of her getting home, she was talking to people about how they could support me, and she had people making monetary donations, sending cards, sending letters, offering all sorts of support.” This statement is part of a preview of the interview scheduled to air on CBS at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Whelan’s complex situation began in December 2018 when Russian authorities arrested and convicted him on espionage charges, sentencing him to 16 years in prison in June 2020. The U.S. government has consistently rejected these accusations as unfounded.

The paths of Whelan and Griner intersected in February 2022 when Griner was arrested in Russia on drug charges, later receiving a nine-year sentence. Her return to the U.S. was secured through a high-stake prisoner exchange, which did not involve Whelan.

Despite not being included in the exchange that secured Griner’s release, Whelan acknowledged Griner’s role in raising awareness about Americans detained abroad. Griner has been actively involved with the Bring Our Families Home campaign, initiated by families of wrongfully held American detainees, and has reached out to President Joe Biden on this issue.

Whelan’s release eventually came in August after a multifaceted negotiation involving numerous countries, resulting in his return alongside Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The deal saw 16 prisoners released from Russia, including critics of President Putin’s government, while Western countries released eight Russian nationals.

In reflecting on his return, Whelan described his ongoing struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his Russian imprisonment. He remains haunted by the experience, especially when seeing media from that time.