Brittney Griner Remains In Russia; Trevor Reed Is Released

Former US Marine veteran Trevor Reed has been released from Russia after being unlawfully detained since 2019. Reed’s family expressed their relief, stating that their prayers had been answered and that Trevor was safely returning to the United States. This release was part of a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia, where the US sent back Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was convicted in 2011 for smuggling cocaine worth over $100 million.

The prisoner exchange is seen as a significant achievement, considering the strained relationship between the US and Russia, primarily due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden, who had previously met with the Reed family, acknowledged the challenges of the negotiations and expressed his happiness at Trevor’s freedom.

Trevor Reed was imprisoned on charges of assaulting a police officer while intoxicated. However, his family and US diplomats consistently maintained his innocence, criticizing the evidence presented during his trial as absurd and preposterous. They believed that he was being used as a bargaining chip. Reed’s health had worsened in recent weeks, and he had to be hospitalized for signs of tuberculosis and a potential broken rib.

Reed’s family commended President Biden for approving the prisoner exchange, believing that it may have saved Trevor’s life. They had concerns that Reed would suffer a fate similar to Otto Warmbier, an American student who fell into a coma and died after being released from North Korea in 2017.

While the exact number of Americans detained in Russia is unknown, there are still two high-profile prisoners who remain: Paul Whelan and WNBA star Brittney Griner. Whelan, also a former Marine, has been in detention the longest, having been arrested at the end of 2018 on charges of being an American spy. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. The Whelan family has mixed feelings about Reed’s release, considering the different nature of the crimes the two prisoners were convicted of, and they are calling for alternative options to secure Paul’s freedom.