Whelan family ‘astonished’ after Biden calls Griner’s wife: ‘What are we to think?’ – Detroit News

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Washington — The family of Michigan’s Paul Whelan was “astonished” Wednesday  after President Joe Biden called the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner but did not also call the Whelans.

Both Whelan and Griner are imprisoned in Russia, but Griner was arrested in February, while Whelan has been held for 3.5 years. His family has sought a meeting with Biden for months and months, with his sister, Elizabeth Whelan, putting in four requests that have not been granted, she said.  

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 27, 2022.

The Whelans suggested the disparate treatment is due to Griner’s celebrity. The two-time Olympic gold medalist plays for the Phoenix Mercury and faces possibly 10 years in prison in Russia. 

“We are astonished at this development and feel badly for our elderly parents, and in particular for Paul,” Elizabeth Whelan told The Detroit News on Wednesday. “Does this mean he is going to be left behind yet again?” 

Source Article from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2022/07/06/whelan-family-astonished-after-biden-calls-griners-wife/7823793001/

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