Griner’s Release Gives Hope to Families of Wrongfully Detained Americans, Sparks Concerns About Dangerous Precedent

As news of Brittney Griner’s release from Russian custody spread, families of the other dozens of Americans who’ve been wrongfully detained rejoiced.

“Knowing any member of the campaign is coming home is just an incredible feeling,” said Hannah Sharghi.

Shargi’s father, Emad Shargi, has been wrongfully detained in Iran for more than four years.

She’s fought alongside others with the Bring Our Families Home Campaign to advocate for prisoner swaps like the one used today to bring Griner home, and before that, the swap that freed North Texas Marine veteran Trevor Reed.

“I hope that everyone stands behind President Biden and what he’s done and hope it can give him courage to continue making these decisions to do everything that’s necessary to bring Americans home,” she said.

Still, Sharghi said today’s elation was met with heartbreak for the family of Marine veteran Paul Whelan.

Whelan was detained on accusations of espionage while visiting Moscow for a wedding in 2018.

University of Texas Arlington Assistant Professor and leading Russian expert Brian Whitmore said the U.S. had hoped for a two-for-one deal, getting Griner and Whelan back in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.

“Apparently the Russians wouldn’t budge on that,” said Whitmore.

Whitmore said he worries today’s deal could set a dangerous precedent.

“Having said that I’m happy to see Brittney Griner home, Russia has basically been taking hostages, and I have no reason to believe that they won’t continue to do so. There are other Russians incarcerated in the United States for legitimate crimes. And so I am a little bit worried about it becoming open season on the few Americans that remain in Russia,” he said.

Thursday through her agent, Griner’s family released a statement declaring their support for other wrongfully detained Americans saying, in part, they will continue “to advocate for Americans who need to be returned home.”

“We have seen that it is possible to bring these hostages home, it was possible with Brittany with Trevor Reed, and it should be possible with my dad and everyone else,” said Shargi.

The Bring Our Families Home campaign says it’s now waited nearly 180 days for Biden to respond to their request for a meeting about the release of all wrongfully detained Americans.

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