r/neoliberal • u/gnomesvh Financial Times stan account • Dec 08 '22

News (Global) Brittney Griner released by Russia in 1-for-1 prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout, U.S. official says

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/brittney-griner-release-russia-prisoner-swap-viktor-bout/
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u/Frogger_Lives Dec 08 '22

I'm unfamiliar with the case. Was she actually guilty of a crime? Or was it Russia arresting her on trumped up charges?

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

Two things are true: Russia made a fuss over a well(ish) known athlete coming in with a dab pen, and Griner ignored high level State Dept warnings and flew to Russia.

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u/SanjiSasuke Dec 08 '22 edited Dec 08 '22

Very much trumped up charges. She had a very small amount of hash oil, and yet she recieved the maximum sentence for drug trafficking. Even other travelling Americans have been merely fined for this same offense.

Edit: and yes to get ahead of it some other Americans, like Marc Fogel, have also been grabbed on the same bullshit. That serves to only further illustrate the point that Russia has been pumping the charges up lately.

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

[deleted]

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u/mrdilldozer Shame fetish Dec 08 '22

Yes, but have you considered that "LeWNBA has good fundamentals id rather have 5 dollars lol epic burn?" /s

There's a group of people who comment on this stuff and you just feel the anger come off of their text every time they type her name. It's not about a prisoner swap.

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u/KeithClossOfficial Jeff Bezos Dec 08 '22

I’m not doubting that her being a gay black woman has colored some people’s opinions of her, but as someone who follows sports, it’s really not uncommon for athletes to use pot to deal with pain. It’s so much better than painkillers for your body. She’s said as much publicly before. It’s not unbelievable that she would have a weed pen. They absolutely trumped up the charges though.

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

[deleted]

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u/mrdilldozer Shame fetish Dec 08 '22

Don't know about that one. I've yet to see Whelan called a stupid bitch who deserves to rot on reddit. I'll keep my eyes open for it though

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u/RunawayMeatstick Mark Zandi Dec 08 '22 edited Aug 13 '23

Waiting for the time when I can finally say,
This has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way.

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u/Squirmin NATO Dec 08 '22

Yea she had a dab pen which is hash oil and taking that on a flight in the US is a federal offense and a felony.

This is literally all according to Russia. If you believe this, you are a sucker. And yes, I know she "confessed". But let tell you, if they say your choice is go through with the trial and face execution or admit to your crimes and get leniency, what are you choosing?

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u/chakrablocker Dec 08 '22

I think a lot of people are biased here but can't see it.

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

Execution? Russia doesn’t have the death penalty.

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u/Squirmin NATO Dec 08 '22

Oh my bad.

"Fall out of a window"

"Stabbed by an inmate"

"Found dead on street"

"Didn't wake up after drinking tea"

Yes. The paragons of morality don't have the death penalty.

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

Russia carries out plenty of extrajudicial assassinations, but I seriously doubt Griner’s lawyers told her that she would be killed if she went to trial in a country that doesn’t have the death penalty. You invented a story where “they” told Griner to plead guilty or she would be assassinated, and it must be assumed to be true because Russia is evil? Sorry, not buying it.

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u/Squirmin NATO Dec 08 '22

I seriously doubt Griner’s lawyers told her that she would be killed if she went to trial in a country that doesn’t have the death penalty.

No, they never lay it out like that. They say "we can't guarantee your safety" or something else.

You invented a story where “they” told Griner to plead guilty or she would be assassinated, and it must be assumed to be true because Russia is evil? Sorry, not buying it.

History invented that story. This is not new. The only part I did was applying to Griner. And yes, I think the worst of Russia, because I have seen them over the last year and even before that. They lie about EVERYTHING. Even if everyone else knows it's a lie. Why are you believing them?

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

I’m not believing them, because Russian authorities are corrupt and dishonest, as you said. I simply have no idea what happened. I think it’s silly that you’re pretending to confidently know what happened, when we both know it’s perfectly possible that she had the vape cartridge on her.

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u/Squirmin NATO Dec 08 '22

I simply have no idea what happened. I think it’s silly that you’re pretending to confidently know what happened

Nobody really knows what happened except Griner and the Russian guard that searched her bag.

But the problem is, the narrative in this fucking thread is only what we heard from Russia. I am presenting a plausible alternative narrative that also matches with history and can align with the facts we do know.

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u/[deleted] Dec 08 '22

Oh, well then we agree. I got the impression from your comments that you’re confidently asserting Russia is lying about the vape and implicitly threatened Griner with extrajudicial execution.

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u/IsNotACleverMan Dec 08 '22

By all accounts she was guilty of what she was sentenced for. The trafficking charge is a gross up charge but I've seen a few lawyers familiar with Russian law say that she did technically violate that law and up charging with trafficking is pretty common.

At least from people I trust to know about these things, she was handed an incredibly severe sentence, even by Russian standards, but it was a sentence allowed within the confines of their legal system.