US WNBA basketball superstar Brittany Griner arrives for a hearing at Khimki Court outside Moscow on July 7, 2022.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images
Washington – President Joe Biden Will sign an executive order that will expand the administration’s available means to prevent US citizens from being held hostage and wrongfully detained.
The executive order, known as “Efforts to Bring Hostages and Bring Home Wrongful Detained United States Citizens,” would authorize the imposition of financial sanctions and visa restrictions on those involved in taking hostages.
A senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “This executive order reflects the administration’s commitment not only to issues in general but to families in particular and is informed by the government’s regular engagement with them.” Has been done.” Share details about the new executive order.
The senior administration official said, “We are prepared to publicly toughen what the president has said, but there are important calls when it means bringing Americans home.”
The official also said the State Department will introduce a new risk indicator, the letter “D,” on travel advice to inform Americans about the risk of being wrongfully detained by a foreign government. The “D” indicator connects to the existing “K” indicator which identifies the risk of kidnapping.
The executive order comes as the Biden administration works to release WNBA star Brittany Griner from a Russian prison. Griner, 31, who plays professional basketball in Russia during the WNBA off-season, was arrested in February at a Russian airport on charges of smuggling hashish oil.
The Biden Administration Describes Griner’s Arrest, a Dramatic Revelation That Came as Crafted by the Kremlin war in ukraine, as false detention. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Moscow court and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
“I fear I may be here forever,” the Olympian wrote in a letter to Biden, asking for his direct assistance with her case.
On the heels of the letter, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with his wife, Cherrell Griner.
According to a readout of the call by the White House, Biden reassured his wife that he was working for Griner’s release as soon as possible. He also said on the call that he is working on the release of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia.
In April, Russia agreed to release former US Marine Trevor Reidprisoner exchange with the United States,
Reid was charged with assaulting a Russian officer and detained by authorities there in 2019. He was later sentenced to nine years in Russian prison. Reid and his family have maintained his innocence and the US government has declared him unjustly imprisoned.
For Reid’s release, Biden agreed to free Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States.
Correction: Paul Whelan is a former US Marine. An earlier version misinterpreted his position.