Paul Whelan, a retired US marine, expressed his gratitude towards basketball champion Brittney Griner for advocating for his freedom from Russian captivity. Whelan mentioned that Griner provided great help by rallying support for him through monetary donations, cards, letters, and various forms of assistance. He revealed this during an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.
Whelan emotionally recounted the moment he saw Griner on TV participating in the Paris Olympics after his release from a complex prison exchange between Russia and the US. He described it as a surreal moment of connection.
The intertwined fates of Whelan and Griner began when he was accused of espionage and imprisoned in Russia in 2018. In a separate incident, Griner was arrested in Russia for drug charges in 2022. Despite the challenges they faced, both were eventually freed in a diplomatic deal involving the US, Russia, and other countries.
Following their release, Griner continued to support other Americans detained abroad by collaborating with campaigns like Bring Our Families Home and engaging with President Joe Biden on the issue. Whelan, on the other hand, shared his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his time in Russian captivity.
