Brittney Griner trial: Russian court hands down verdict, sentence in WNBA star's case

[Scott]

 

 

Brittney Griner, an American basketball superstar and Olympic gold medalist, learned her fate in a Russian court after she pleaded guilty to a drug charge last month.

A Russian judge convicted Griner of drug possession and drug smuggling and sentenced her to 9 years in prison. She was also fined one million rubles, the equivalent of about $16,400.

 

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brittney-griner-trial-russian-court-hands-down-verdict-wnba-stars-case

[vandeventer]

People have to learn that when you are in a different country you must know the laws of that country. So if you do a crime you do the time. In some countries it may be the death sentence for drugs.

[SunnyinBangrak]

Can anyone explain the priority and publicity being given to this one particular drug smuggler over the 1,000s of others? I just don't get it. A cynic would say she is to be urgently swapped with merchant of death Victor Bout because she ticks alot of alphabet boxes and is on the correct political side both of which raise her value over normal Americans. Can that really be true?? If not, then why is she special.

[KhunLA]

Hope she does all 9 years ????

 

Don't know why she would want to come back to the oppressive USA that she hates anyway.   She's probably very happy, and surely will have fun in a women's jail ????????

 

The big plus for her ... she won't have to hear that oppressive 'National Anthem' any more.

 

Call me crazy, but she looks happier in cuffs vs her 'protest' image.

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by KhunLA

[rwill]

Hard to sympathize with anyone traveling with drugs.  Just a silly thing to do.

[IAMHERE]

1 hour ago, rwill said:

Hard to sympathize with anyone traveling with drugs.  Just a silly thing to do.

Especially when you consider she has been to Russia before. Probably to many other countries during her basketball career. Hate to 'the merchant of death' used to barter her out of jail. Rather see that guy traded for a real spy, if at all. Kind of an insult to Thailand and their help in arresting  Victor Bout.  

[rgraham]

We do not need people like her back in the US, keep her longer if you want. She already voiced her dislike for the US so maybe she will enjoy some R&R in a Russian prison.

[kidneyw]

I am sure she will get some great Russian tattoos while in the slammer.

[khaowong1]

I have nothing else to say... Everyone on here has said it for me.  Dasvadania Brittney. 

[Bluespunk]

From the OP

 

”Griner contended she made "an honest mistake" when she brought vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis into a Moscow airport back in February,”

 

Hardly major league smuggling (if smuggling at all) and certainly not worthy of gaol time. 
 

Stupid maybe but we all do stupid things. 

[BTB1977]

She will be doing alot of kneeling on her knees the next 9 years. LOL

[300sd]

Did anyone catch the amount of drug in this huge smuggling episode? Vape cartridges containing oils derived from pot! I would imagine the drug weighs about as much as the dirt under my finger nails.

She's not my favourite person but this is a sham.

[Jingthing]

49 minutes ago, BTB1977 said:

She will be doing alot of kneeling on her knees the next 9 years. LOL

What's funny about that? If she has to serve that sentence her life is over.

[Jingthing]

9 hours ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Can anyone explain the priority and publicity being given to this one particular drug smuggler over the 1,000s of others? I just don't get it. A cynic would say she is to be urgently swapped with merchant of death Victor Bout because she ticks alot of alphabet boxes and is on the correct political side both of which raise her value over normal Americans. Can that really be true?? If not, then why is she special.

Define normal.

[Jingthing]

Here is my take which I think is more objective than most.

 

Russia does have very severe drug laws.

She made a big mistake violating them whether she knew that before or not.

The U.S. and Russia currently have extremely poor relations. There is a war between Russia and Ukraine created by Putin and the U.S. is the most significant military supporter of Ukraine.

Any American arrested during this time in Russia is going to be potentially a politically charged case, especially a famous American. 

For a very long time she didn't receive very much support from the U.S. government. Why the delay? In my opinion it's not about her race or orientation but her GENDER. 

The WNBA doesn't rate compared to the NBA, star or not.

Just imagine how it would have been different if a major MALE star had been arrested for the very same charges! 

But now the case finally has received a lot of attention in the U.S. It's NOT because she's black or lesbian, it's because of a very effective publicity effort by the WNBA to shame Biden and the State Department to desist from their blatant hypocrisy on this (WNBA vs. NBA).

So now she has received a very harsh sentence.

Is this only because she's a pawn and she is a pawn? Perhaps not. Russia does give such sentences.

Should the U.S. trade Bout for her which it has been revealed is pretty much the absurdly high level Putin might accept to make this deal?

That's a matter of opinion.

I have said this before. In my opinion, NO. It's a bad precedent. Putin heads a terrorist government, to give up Bout is caving to terrorism.

Sadly in war time there are martyrs and collarteral damage.

But the US seems willing to go for this deal, but even then,  even with Putin biting. you can't trust Putin as far as you can throw him, and the deal still might not happen.

 

To add, a lot of the Trumpist / right wing personal attacks on Griner and opposition for the deal are based on racism, sexism, homophobia, and opposition to internal leftist BLM type protest. That's very unfortunate. Too bad they don't oppose it for better reasons!

 

 

Brittney Griner Verdict: Conservatives, Like Trump, Side With Russia - Rolling Stone

 

 

The WNBA star was sentenced to nearly a decade in Russia prison for smuggling narcotics after being caught with less than a gram of cannabis oil. Right-wing commentators are gloating

 

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Jingthing

[unblocktheplanet]

Govts always take advantage of the vulnerable, mostly for political posturing or revenge. E.g., Julian Assange, Viktor Bout, Arnon Nampa.

[unblocktheplanet]

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Should the U.S. trade Bout for her ...

Should the U.S. trade Bout for her ... I have said this before. In my opinion, NO. It's a bad precedent. Putin heads a terrorist government, to give up Bout is caving to terrorism.

Before reading this thread, I didn't know she was black or a lesbian. Nor, really, do I know much about basketball.

 

The fact is, govts & the society they reflect, as built on aggression & revenge. Prisons should be abolished.

 

And we need to consider who are the REAL terrorists: the US & Russia.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Before reading this thread, I didn't know she was black or a lesbian. Nor, really, do I know much about basketball.

 

The fact is, govts & the society they reflect, as built on aggression & revenge. Prisons should be abolished.

 

And we need to consider who are the REAL terrorists: the US & Russia.

Being black, being a lesbian, playing b-ball is completely irrelevant.  She is simply moving drugs across international borders ... dumba$$

[bamnutsak]

I wonder how people feel about Paul Whelan, also held in Russia and said to be be part of the package deal for Viktor Bout.

 

 

[Credo]

3 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I wonder how people feel about Paul Whelan, also held in Russia and said to be be part of the package deal for Viktor Bout.

 

There was a lot of screaming by some segments to get Whelan in the trade.  He seems to get a pass.  Pretty much all that I've heard on the news i that he is a former Marine.  That's true, but he was also dishonorably discharged from the Marines.   

 

It's also worth mentioning that he is actually Canadian, with US, British and Irish citizenship.   He worked in security, so he would have been nosing around and that likely ended him in hot water.

 

It's rather interesting that Whelan is given a free pass as far as criticism goes and Griner gets the brunt of negative comments.   

 

[mikeymike100]

10 hours ago, 300sd said:

Did anyone catch the amount of drug in this huge smuggling episode? Vape cartridges containing oils derived from pot! I would imagine the drug weighs about as much as the dirt under my finger nails.

She's not my favourite person but this is a sham.

I tend to agree with you, but everyone should understand different countries rules on drugs. I actually believe she made an honest mistake and she admitted it. But thats obviously not what the Russians believe?

[JonnyF]

Stupid woman. Taking cannabis to Russia. What an idiot.

 

She has been very critical of the US government in the past.

 

I wonder if her stance will soften now that she needs them to bail her out? 9 years in a Russian prison? She might be about to find out what racism and tyrannical regimes really look like. 

 

Interesting angle with the link to Viktor Bout as well. Illegally kidnapped in Bangkok by US agents and requested as part of an exchange deal.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Being black, being a lesbian, playing b-ball is completely irrelevant.  She is simply moving drugs across international borders ... dumba$$

It's irrelevant in terms of the crime. But in terms of support from the Woke Dems and the media it is definitely in her favour. 

 

A great opportunity for virtue signalling by the government. They have ignored white Americans dubiously held by Russia for years, but a black lesbian celebrity? They couldn't possible ignore that, and neither can the MSM.

 

Hence this article.

[Berkshire]

24 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

It's irrelevant in terms of the crime. But in terms of support from the Woke Dems and the media it is definitely in her favour. 

 

A great opportunity for virtue signalling by the government. They have ignored white Americans dubiously held by Russia for years, but a black lesbian celebrity? They couldn't possible ignore that, and neither can the MSM.

 

Hence this article.

Trevor Reed--a white American--was just released by Russia recently due to a deal brokered by the US GOV.  Paul Whelan--another white American--is included in the deal to bring Griner back.  So what in freaks name are you talking about?

[Scott]

Off-topic post reported and removed. 

[JonnyF]

24 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Trevor Reed--a white American--was just released by Russia recently due to a deal brokered by the US GOV.  Paul Whelan--another white American--is included in the deal to bring Griner back.  So what in freaks name are you talking about?

I am talking about Paul Whelan. Nobody had heard of him until he was included as a side dish in the Griner deal.

 

Lucky for him a black lesbian celebrity got sentenced. Otherwise he would have been rotting for years and none of us would even know who he was. 

[Iamfalang]

I personally think driving a motorbike under the influence is worse.  Seems like it puts more people in danger, including children.   Have police outside all pubs......10-year sentences.   

 

In this case, she won't do 9 weeks.......there will be a prisoner transfer probably in less than one week.  That's why they said 9 years, a bigger story.

 

She has done some time, but she'll be back home and maybe writing a book for millions before next weekend.  

[Fat is a type of crazy]

There's a lot of posts here that seem to take a lot of pleasure in this. Don't know the history but it seems nasty. She made a stupid mistake that involved a tiny amount of drugs. I guess some of the posters here never did something silly. Never didn't think things through. 

[Jingthing]

I really don't know if Putin will take the deal or not. But if he does he loses a high profile propaganda pawn that may have more value to him never releases.

[howlee101]

12 minutes ago, Iamfalang said:

She has done some time, but she'll be back home and maybe writing a book for millions before next weekend.

The WNBA wants her back soonest.  The league stands to lose hundreds of dollars without her on the court for the upcoming season ????.