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PALMETTO, FLORIDA – AUGUST 10: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury walks hand and hand with wife Cherelle Watson after defeating the Dallas Wings at Feld Entertainment Center on August 10, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida.(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
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via Getty
PALMETTO, FLORIDA – AUGUST 10: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury walks hand and hand with wife Cherelle Watson after defeating the Dallas Wings at Feld Entertainment Center on August 10, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida.(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Back in 2022, the Brittney Griner saga shook the basketball community to the core. While it was a traumatizing time for Griner and her family, her arrest shed light on numerous other American citizens who have been detained abroad. Even after months after Griner’s release, it seems her wife has not forgotten about the plight of other prisoners. Cherelle Griner regularly posts updates about these prisoners on her social media handles.
Cherelle shared a powerful post on her Instagram story about Emad Shargi, who is currently being held in Iran. For the unversed, it has been 5 years since he has been home.
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Brittney Griner’s wife pleads to POTUS Joe Biden for the release of Shargi
Emad Shargi is an American-Iranian businessman who has spent the past 5 years in jail. He was detained by officials in 2018 for espionage charges. Following his arrest, the US Government termed it as ‘bogus’.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 06: Cherelle Griner, the wife of Brittney Griner, speaks during a rally to support the release of detained American professional athlete Britney Griner at Footprint Center on July 06, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. WNBA star and Phoenix Mercury athlete Brittney Griner was detained on February 17 at a Moscow-area airport after cannabis oil was allegedly found in her luggage. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Five years after this incident, Shargi and his family still await justice. However, it seems there has been no progress on the case. Cherelle Griner shed some light on Shargi’s plight by sharing a story on Instagram.
In the post shared by Griner, it was revealed that the Shargi family has reached out to Joe Biden. His sister, Neda has personally passed a letter to the President requesting immediate action and the release of her brother.
Neda has spearheaded the campaign to bring Emad Shargi home. However, most of her pleas have gone unanswered. Considering Cherelle Griner’s immense following and her relationship with the White House, the Shargi family might finally have some respite.
Cherelle Griner is keeping her promise
Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has the Joe Biden administration to thank for her release. Following reports of her highly publicized release, Cherelle Griner made some strong promises in the White House.
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“BG is not here to say this, but I will gladly speak on her behalf and say that BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today”, said Cherelle. Safe to say, Griner is keeping her promise as she regularly stands up for jailed American prisoners, as she did for Eyvin Hernandez, who is allegedly being held unfairly in Venezuela.
The same can be said about her wife. In her first public appearance following the whole saga, Brittney Griner spoke up for the American prisoners. “Let’s keep fighting to bring home every American still detained overseas”, said the 7-time WNBA All-Star during the 54th NAACP Image Awards.
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WATCH THIS STORY: Did WNBA star Brittney Griner date 7-ft Lakers center, Anthony Davis?
What are your thoughts on the whole Brittney Griner saga? Let us know in the comments below!
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