RUSSIA - WNBA star Brittney Griner, Detained @ Sheremetyevo International Airport, 2022 *Guilty*

[BayouBelle_LA]

The fact that he's known to government officials and has them fighting for him to be classified as wrongfully detained shows that the government picks and chooses who they want to fight for.

The U.S. may need to start looking for high profile Russians that committed crimes against the U.S and start incarcerating them. We need a stockpile. I can see that the Russians will start taking Americans on misdemeanors and holding them for years because we are so willing to trade one for someone like the merchant of death.

 

[gitana1]

I never said I wasn't happy that Britteny is home. The only thing I said, was that I believed Whelan's release should have been secured first. Nothing more, nothing less. I have no idea why Trump didn't try to get Whelan released since he and Putin were such good buddies. Maybe Trump didn't want Bout out?

Yes, but what if we couldn’t get his release secured first? Should Griner languish? Is the release of a person who was wrongfully imprisoned in a place that could kill her a fair trade for a dangerous arms dealer who had maybe 6-7 years left of his time to serve? I don’t know. It is arguable both ways. But Whelan’s family seems to think so:

David Whelan said gaining the release of Griner, who was detained in February at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, was the "right decision" rather than "waiting for one that wasn't going to happen."

"It is so important to me that it is clear that we do not begrudge Ms. Griner her freedom," David Whelan said. "As I have often remarked, Brittney's and Paul's cases were never really intertwined. It has always been a strong possibility that one might be freed without the other."

Family of Paul Whelan, American imprisoned in Russia, says it was warned about Brittney Griner's release

"That early warning meant that our family has been able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us. And a catastrophe for Paul," the family said.

www.nbcnews.com

My problem is there is a level of rage about Griner’s release from people who were unlikely to even know Paul Whelan existed before this and I think for many that’s due to who she is, not who Viktor Bout is.

 

[gitana1]

How was it cruel and unusual? She got the usual punishment for being caught with drugs in another country. Whether she unintentionally packed them or not, it was her responsibility to know what's in her luggage.

The Russians knew they had the negotiators over a barrel because of all the outrage over her case and they held their ground to get what they wanted. The negotiators should have pressed harder for Whelan and Fogel, plain and simple

First, the likelihood that she actually had that paraphernalia is super low. Political prisoners are told that they have to plead guilty in order to be at all eligible for a prisoner exchange or release.

Second, it is cruel and unusual punishment in any civilized nation on earth.

(Even in Russia the penalty range is 5-10 years. Why did she get 10?)

 

[gitana1]

The fact that this was a political imprisonment is demonstrated by the fact that we exchanged a cocaine dealer with Russia last May, for a wrongfully imprisoned marine, Trevor Reed. Clearly Russia doesn’t have that much of a problem with drugs.

 

[SugarQueen]

@gitana1 , I’ve tried to quote your post but keep messing it up. ( major migraine brain)
Why do you feel BG may have died in prison? Why would the chances of that happening to her be greater than any other American in Russian prison?
<modsnip> We released an absolute monster. Doesn’t mean I wished anything bad for BG.

 

[Dawookie]

First, the likelihood that she actually had that paraphernalia is super low. Political prisoners are told that they have to plead guilty in order to be at all eligible for a prisoner exchange or release.

Second, it is cruel and unusual punishment in any civilized nation on earth.

(Even in Russia the penalty range is 5-10 years. Why did she get 10?)

She admitted she had it. She said she packed them unintentionally because she was in a hurry.

I agree it's cruel and unusual punishment but that's what happens when you visit foreign countries, they have different laws. Russia has long been known for zero tolerance when it comes to any drugs.

It's Russia, who knows why she got near the max sentence. Marc Fogel got charged with the same crime and he got 14 years and sentenced to a penal colony as well. He should have known better than to think a doctor's note would get him off those charges but there's zero outrage from the media or the government despite politicians fighting for the government to change his status. Sadly it reeks oh hypocrisy because one is a famous athlete and one isnt

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

She admitted she had it. She said she packed them unintentionally because she was in a hurry.

I agree it's cruel and unusual punishment but that's what happens when you visit foreign countries, they have different laws. Russia has long been known for zero tolerance when it comes to any drugs.

It's Russia, who knows why she got near the max sentence. Marc Fogel got charged with the same crime and he got 14 years and sentenced to a penal colony as well. He should have known better than to think a doctor's note would get him off those charges but there's zero outrage from the media or the government despite politicians fighting for the government to change his status. Sadly it reeks oh hypocrisy because one is a famous athlete and one isnt

BG had a note from a doctor as well. I thought her release over Fogel might be because she’s female. There was a time when women were more guarded and protected although I’m told it’s passé to think that way. Just a thought.

Brittney Griner was prescribed medical cannabis for 'severe chronic pain,' lawyers tell court | CNN

Lawyers for WNBA star Brittney Griner told Russian judges Friday that she was prescribed medical cannabis for "severe chronic pain."

www.cnn.com

Lawyers for WNBA star Brittney Griner told Russian judges Friday that she was prescribed medical cannabis for “severe chronic pain.”

Griner’s defense team submitted to the Russian court a letter from a US medical center issuing a permit in Arizona in 2020 for the use of medical cannabis for Griner to treat her chronic pain caused by sports injuries.

 

[Herat]

Brittney Griner immediately shook hands with members of the crew returning her to the US, hostage affairs official says

The top US hostage affairs official on Sunday reflected on conducting the prisoner swap that led to Brittney Griner's release, saying the WNBA star immediately thanked the crew returning her to the United States.

amp.cnn.com

I am very touched by this.

Griner sounds like a very nice, very well-spoken person of remarkable talent who is always in the spotlight because of her height. She is clearly more than just a sports jock. I have been very worried about what would happen to her in the Gulag, away from contact for the next 9 years.

If we can get one person out at a time, we do it, and keep working for the next prisoner/ hostage's release.

 

[Marysmith]

I am very touched by this.

Griner sounds like a very nice, very well-spoken person of remarkable talent who is always in the spotlight because of her height. She is clearly more than just a sports jock. I have been very worried about what would happen to her in the Gulag, away from contact for the next 9 years.

If we can get one person out at a time, we do it, and keep working for the next prisoner/ hostage's release.

I was touched by it as well!

 

[Ceska]

I think it’s pretty ridiculous that we traded a major arms dealer for a basketball player. Let me state outright, for me it has nothing to do with race, sexuality, or anything along those lines. He sells weapons of destruction, she throws a ball threw a hoop. Think about it….we just released a man who was convicted of a laundry list of major crimes. A man who is nicknamed the merchant of death. We traded a very, very, dangerous man for a basketball player. He will be right back to what he was doing.
<modsnip>

Viktor Bout was going to be up for release in about 5 years anyway. Really nothing ridiculous about it.

Who is Viktor Bout, the convicted Russian arms dealer swapped for Brittney Griner?

Convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout has been swapped by the U.S. for American WNBA player Brittney Griner who was detained in Russia earlier this year.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Ceska]

The news is reporting Saudi Prince is involved in brokering the deal in exchange for some favors about the Jamal Khashoggi murder investigation / lawsuit.

As pleased as I am that top athlete Britany Grier will be back home again, it's very disturbing to see the mechanism to see how this happened.

Actually not quite true apparently.

Saudi Arabia did not mediate in Griner release, White House says

The release of basketball star player Brittney Griner was negotiated between the United States and Russia only, the White House said on Thursday, denying a Saudi Arabia statement that it was involved.

www.reuters.com

 

[familymem]

I am very touched by this.

Griner sounds like a very nice, very well-spoken person of remarkable talent who is always in the spotlight because of her height. She is clearly more than just a sports jock. I have been very worried about what would happen to her in the Gulag, away from contact for the next 9 years.

If we can get one person out at a time, we do it, and keep working for the next prisoner/ hostage's release.

That is not why she was in the spotlight. And until her arrest, she was known more for protesting during the National Anthem about the unfairness in America than she was for her height.

Also, she wasn't just visiting Russia. She was returning to her Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg. A team that is funded by a Russian Oligarch. So she was basically living in Russia temporarily. She was carrying oil, and she did know that it is illegal in Russia ...medical or not. Let's not forget about the US citizens that the US has imprisoned because pot is still not legal at a federal level. People are still arrested for possession here although the sentencing isn't nearly as long as it was just 5 years ago. Trump started the ball rolling pardoning some offenders that had already been in prison for years, Biden completed that just recently. So, when everyone was up in arms about Griners incarceration there were (and still are) a lot more that we had incarcerated here for the same damn thing.

 

[SugarQueen]

Viktor Bout was going to be up for release in about 5 years anyway. Really nothing ridiculous about it.

Who is Viktor Bout, the convicted Russian arms dealer swapped for Brittney Griner?

Convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout has been swapped by the U.S. for American WNBA player Brittney Griner who was detained in Russia earlier this year.

abcnews.go.com

Imagine the massive amount of arms he could move in 5 years. Now imagine how much destruction they can cause. Now imagine how many people could potentially die in those 5 years.
If we kept him those 5 years how man lives would it have saved?

 

[Ceska]

Imagine the massive amount of arms he could move in 5 years. Now imagine how much destruction they can cause. Now imagine how many people could potentially die in those 5 years.
If we kept him those 5 years how man lives would it have saved?

Explains why they think he is not the threat he once was. Also, there are far more dangerous people out there now days, than Viktor Bout.......

Viktor Bout is back in Moscow. Is he still a national security threat to the U.S.?

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Nick Schmidle, who met Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in prison several times, about the decision to swap him for WNBA star Britney Griner.

www.npr.org

 

[Marysmith]

I think we’re all just going to have to agree to disagree here. It’s a rough world and a rough reality.

 

[gitana1]

@gitana1 , I’ve tried to quote your post but keep messing it up. ( major migraine brain)
Why do you feel BG may have died in prison? Why would the chances of that happening to her be greater than any other American in Russian prison?
<modsnip> We released an absolute monster. Doesn’t mean I wished anything bad for BG.

She’s gay and black. That’s why. Not only are there no protections for black people there, or for gay people, there’s actually a high level of government sanctioned hate toward gay people in Russia.

Yes, we released a monster. He was getting out in 6-7 years anyhow. Although I agree he can do a ton of damage in 6-7 years.

It’s an argument- whether it’s a fair deal. But it’s an argument we wouldn’t see as much of, IMO, if Griner wasn’t gay and black.

 

[gitana1]

She admitted she had it. She said she packed them unintentionally because she was in a hurry.

I agree it's cruel and unusual punishment but that's what happens when you visit foreign countries, they have different laws. Russia has long been known for zero tolerance when it comes to any drugs.

It's Russia, who knows why she got near the max sentence. Marc Fogel got charged with the same crime and he got 14 years and sentenced to a penal colony as well. He should have known better than to think a doctor's note would get him off those charges but there's zero outrage from the media or the government despite politicians fighting for the government to change his status. Sadly it reeks oh hypocrisy because one is a famous athlete and one isnt

I get your point. But again, I don’t believe she brought anything of the sort into Russia. The timing is suspicious. And again, expatriate defendants are encouraged to “confess” in the hopes of leniency.

As to the rest of your post, one is a black lesbian. The other is not. That’s the difference and why her life is more at risk in a Russian gulag:

“A Russian prison rights advocate said that Griner being “lesbian, American and Black” puts her in particular danger. This makes her a prime target for harassment in Russian prison, where extremely violent homophobia and racism abound, and where the U.S. is seen as “a mortal enemy.””

Brittney Griner now in Russian penal colony - Philadelphia Gay News

The WNBA star is now being held at a colony in Mordovia, 350 miles from Moscow. Her nine-year prison sentence is set to end in 2031.

epgn.com

Very much more at link.

But yeah. I understand the sentiment about bailing out people who go to dangerous, foreign countries. And the price we pay to do that. Like the kid who came back brain dead from North Korea. Yet he’s another one who I do not think did one thing wrong there. He was a political prisoner, IMO.

Awful

 

[PriorTheCreator]

This is good news

 

[everlearning]

I get your point. But again, I don’t believe she brought anything of the sort into Russia. The timing is suspicious. And again, expatriate defendants are encouraged to “confess” in the hopes of leniency.

As to the rest of your post, one is a black lesbian. The other is not. That’s the difference and why her life is more at risk in a Russian gulag:

“A Russian prison rights advocate said that Griner being “lesbian, American and Black” puts her in particular danger. This makes her a prime target for harassment in Russian prison, where extremely violent homophobia and racism abound, and where the U.S. is seen as “a mortal enemy.””

Brittney Griner now in Russian penal colony - Philadelphia Gay News

The WNBA star is now being held at a colony in Mordovia, 350 miles from Moscow. Her nine-year prison sentence is set to end in 2031.

epgn.com

Very much more at link.

But yeah. I understand the sentiment about bailing out people who go to dangerous, foreign countries. And the price we pay to do that. Like the kid who came back brain dead from North Korea. Yet he’s another one who I do not think did one thing wrong there. He was a political prisoner, IMO.

Awful

I'm in no way saying she should still be imprisoned. I do have so many parts of this situation I don't understand. If you are "lesbian, American, and Black," and it will put you in more danger to be in a particular country, then why in the world would you repeatedly go there to play basketball? She should be able to go anywhere in the world that she desires, but the reality of life is that she can't in certain places without facing more danger. I guess I'm getting too old and cautious. I'm pretty sure I'd stay far away from these kinds of countries. Hopefully, her situation will serve as great education for others. I'm sure she wants something good to come from her situation.

 

[PriorTheCreator]

I'm in no way saying she should still be imprisoned. I do have so many parts of this situation I don't understand. If you are "lesbian, American, and Black," and it will put you in more danger to be in a particular country, then why in the world would you repeatedly go there to play basketball? She should be able to go anywhere in the world that she desires, but the reality of life is that she can't in certain places without facing more danger. I guess I'm getting too old and cautious. I'm pretty sure I'd stay far away from these kinds of countries. Hopefully, her situation will serve as great education for others. I'm sure she wants something good to come from her situation.

WNBA players are severely underpaid and need to make enough money to make a living and save for a retirement. The career length for players like this is significantly smaller compared to the average person's career.