Brittany Griner was labeled both by the right and left as a political prisoner. Americans, probably due to her celebrity status, have treated her case with undue reverence since Griner was arrested.
Other Americans are held in Russian prison cells, which aren’t known to Americans. Griner, an American gay athlete, has received celebrity attention. Megan Rapinoe paid tribute to her at Rapinoe’s recent Medal of Freedom ceremony. She wore on her cream blazer the initials ‘BG’ and a bunch of flowers embroidered on Rapinoe’s lapel. Griner was also guilty of the charges.
Notwithstanding Griner’s admission of guilt, Rapinoe and others have flooded social media with “Free Brittany” pleas, claiming she is a political prisoner. In one respect, Griner’s champions are right – she is a political prisoner Get it now.
Griner was trying to illegally import a drug into Russia when he was detained on February 17, 2017. That fact cannot be denied. Griner acknowledged that the drug was brought into Russia by Griner, and admitted this fact to court. However, Griner claimed it was a “mistake”, an error on her part. Griner admitted she had broken the law in a foreign country and was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.
American citizens may find her crime trivial, but laws from other countries apply to it. Below is a timeline.
You can find more information here February 23 the State Department issued a travel advisory that Americans should not travel to Russia.
You can find more information here January 29, Griner left Russia after playing her last game there.
You can find more information here February 17 Griner returned to Russia and was arrested for carrying hashish cartridges.
It is important to be familiar with the laws and not to break the rules when you travel frequently to foreign countries.
Since Griner’s arrest and before her sentencing, Trevor Reed, a decorated Marine, and an arguably wrongfully imprisoned American was released in exchange for a Russian prisoner. Reed served 1000 days in prison before the exchange. Just days ago, Biden’s administration has offered a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year US prison sentence, in exchange for Brittney Griner and another American, Paul Whelan.
Griner was sentenced on Thursday to nine-years in prison But Griner won’t serve nine years. Griner’s lengthy sentence was intended to make her more valuable if Russia offered her Russian(s), in return for her US custody. At this point, Griner isn’t just an American who broke Russian laws (and frankly deserves to be punished) she has become a pawn on a political chessboard.
Her value will increase in any exchange that occurs. To increase her value she was given multiple years of imprisonment in Russian prisons.
It is possible to have two things at once. Griner violated the law, and she pleaded guilty. Griner is also a “political prisoner” because she now has increased value to Russia as a piece of a geopolitical chessboard worthy of exchanging for something more valuable. Biden will bow and a Russian criminal can be released to Brittney Griner so she can complain about America.
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