Trevor Reed calls for Brittney Griner’s release as he details horrendous conditions of Russian detainment

Joining supporters at a rally for Griner in Houston Monday, Reed said Griner is likely to face even greater challenges behind bars in Russia than himself or fellow American detainee Paul Whelan because of her race and sexual orientation, as the country “systematically discriminates” against individuals who are Black or LGBTQ.

At the rally, Reed described the conditions of Russian prison as completely inhospitable, with rotten food and a lack of medical care, and he called the country’s legal system “medieval.”

“Every day that you’re in prison there, it’s like you’re waking up to a nightmare,” he said.

“Write them, call them, annoy them, don’t leave them alone,” he said. “Tell them you want Brittney home and you want the rest of the Americans who are being wrongfully detained home, and you want it done now.”

Communication with Griner possible, agent says

“While sporadic, written communication from her wife, family, friends and global sport community has been a source of comfort for BG during her wrongful detainment, going without real time, regular contact with loved ones is inhumane,” agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said. “It has been over 105 days since BG has heard her wife or family’s voice. It remains clear that Brittney Griner is being used as a political pawn and it is imperative that President Biden do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home quickly and safely.”

Griner’s case is being handled by the office of the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) Roger Carstens, a State Department official confirmed last month, which coordinates government diplomatic efforts securing the release of Americans wrongfully detained abroad.

The office may have more flexibility in efforts to negotiate Griner’s freedom as it does not necessarily have to wait for Russian legal proceedings to play out.

“There was blood all over the wall there — where prisoners had killed themselves, or killed other prisoners, or attempted to do that,” Reed said.

“The toilet’s just a hole in the floor. And there’s, you know, crap everywhere, all over the floor, on the walls. There’s people in there also that walk around that look like zombies,” he continued.

A State Department spokesman told CNN in April that the Griner and Whelan cases remain top priorities for the US.

“To everyone listening: go to WeAreBG.org and sign the petition, call the White House and call everyone you know. If you know anyone in the Biden administration, CALL THEM,” the association said in a statement.