As the date approaches for Brittney Griner’s next appeal, the whole world has its eyes on the controversial WNBA star. She has been all over the news following her arrest earlier this year. Brittney Griner was in Russia to join her teammates in UMMC Ekaterinburg when she was arrested for carrying illegal drugs in her luggage.
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Subsequently, she was part of a long legal battle. After confessing, the court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison. The officials have been trying their best to find a solution and help Griner.
One of the solutions being taken into consideration is a prisoner swap. The Joe Biden administration has been trying a swap deal to bring Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan back to the United States of America. However, negotiations have been far from simple.
While some laud the government’s efforts to bring back Griner, some do not approve of it. Mickey Bergman, vice president, and executive director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement commented on the situation and called it “intellectually lazy and morally bankrupt.“
This comes in response to an official who talked “about the need to bring [Griner and Whelan] home.”Interestingly enough, Bergman was one of the officials who visited Moscow to meet officials about two former Marines. He played a huge role in bringing back Trevor Reed from Russia.
In case the officials are able to pull off the prisoner swap, they would have to hand over notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout to Russia. According to reports, Bout will be used to bring back Whelan and Griner to the United States.
The POTUS has been openly in support of Brittney Griner
Ever since her arrest and sentencing in Russia, Brittney Griner has received both support and hate from around the world. The POTUS Joe Biden has been quite supportive of the Phoenix Mercury star.
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Moreover, he held a dinner with the families of Griner and Whelan. After a Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison, The White House sent out an official statement. The statement referred to Griner’s sentencing as ‘unacceptable’ while also accusing Russia of ‘wrongfully detaining Brittney’.
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What are your thoughts on the Brittney Griner situation? Let us know in the comments down below.