Speaking to CNN’s Don Lemon, the Texas congressman said the US Embassy has requested consular access to her but has been denied for three weeks.
Allred acknowledged that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine looms “over the entire issue” of getting Griner back to the US.
“For Brittney’s sake, we don’t want her to become a part of this kind of political battle that’s going on, and we want to make sure that her rights are respected and that we are able to get access to her, and that she can get through the process and get home as quickly as possible,” Allred told CNN on Thursday.
Allred said Griner has been in contact with her Russian lawyer, who is in touch with her agent and her family back home.
“So we do know that she’s okay,” Allred said, adding that he’s also been in contact with the player’s agent.
CNN has reached out to Russian officials and the US Embassy in Moscow for comment on Griner’s consular access but has not heard back.
“They should just know that our government, the State Department, folks like myself in Congress on the Foreign Affairs Committee, we’re gonna do everything we can to get her home, to get any other American who’s been detained unjustly home,” Allred said, speaking about the families of Americans who are in state custody.
The US State Department has been “working very diligently” on Griner’s case, spokesperson Ned Price said at a Friday briefing.
“We’ve been in close touch with those around her, providing all forms of appropriate support and will continue to do that,” he said, but declined to provide further details.
Griner’s whereabouts aren’t publicly known. CNN has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment but has not heard back.
Source : cnn
