- LeBron James has demanded President Biden bring WNBA star Brittney Griner home from Russia.
- Griner has been in Russian custody after an arrest on alleged drug charges in February.
- James pushed the US government to "immediately address this human rights issue" and get her home.
LeBron James has demanded President Biden bring Brittney Griner home from Russia, where the WNBA star has been detained for more than 100 days.
"We need to come together and help do whatever we possibly can to bring BG home quickly and safely!! Our voice as athletes is stronger together," he tweeted Sunday night to his 51.4 million followers.
—LeBron James (@KingJames) June 6, 2022
In the same tweet, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar also shared a letter saying Griner faced "inhumane conditions in a Russian prison" and has been "denied communications with her family and loved ones."
"As a decorated Olympian and member of an elite global sport community, BG's detention must be resolved out of respect for the sanctity of all sport and for all Americans traveling internationally. It is imperative that the US Government immediately address this human rights issue and do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home," the letter continued.
"Join us in demanding that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris bring Brittney home swiftly and safely by taking action today," the letter concluded, alongside a link to a Change.org petition which has received more than 300,000 signatures calling for Griner's safe return.
The WNBA athlete has been detained in Russia since February 17, when customs agents at a Moscow airport claimed to have found cannabis oil in her luggage. She was in Russia competing for European powerhouse club UMMC Ekaterinburg, as she has for the last eight years.
Last month, the US State Department officially classed Griner as "wrongfully detained"— a move which experts say sends a "strong signal that the US government does not believe that there is a legitimate case against her," Insider previously reported.
