The United States may exchange basketball player Brittney Griner and ex-Marine Paul Whelan for a Russian convicted in the States, Viktor Bout.
In Russia, Brittney Griner, an Olympic champion and a basketball player of the US national team, was sentenced to 9 years in prison. An American woman was detained in February at Sheremetyevo Airport after hash oil for vaping was found in her bag. Greiner can now be traded. When relations between the Russian Federation and the United States rose to the limit due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, only Greiner’s fate forced US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to negotiate with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Greiner case
Greiner is a two-time Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and also a women’s NBA champion. In the USA, he played for the Phoenix Mercury team, and between seasons he played in the Russian Premier League for the Yekaterinburg club UMMC.
In February of this year, Greiner was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport when, during a search, hash oil for vaping was found in his bag. A case was opened against the athlete for possession and smuggling of drugs in large quantities.
The trial of the basketball player began in the Khimki court on July 1. Greiner’s lawyer in court stated that the athlete does not use marijuana for recreation, but for medical purposes, and emphasized that he had a prescription for medical marijuana, which is legal in many US states.
A drug expert called by the defense also testified in court that medical marijuana is widely used as a pain reliever among elite athletes.
Griner himself said that he did not intend to break Russian law, and that he accidentally put the hash oil cartridges in his bag because he was in a hurry and nervous when packing.
Cannabis oil, according to Greiner, was prescribed to him by a doctor for pain and inflammation, because he suffered many injuries during his career, including his spine, knees and ankles.
The athlete also stressed that he did not use marijuana during the game, as it could lead to disqualification for him and the entire team.
Replace
Washington said last week it had made a “substantial offer” to Moscow to trade Griner and ex-Marine Paul Whelan, who was convicted in Russia, but did not specify for whom.
According to media reports, the administration of President Joe Biden has offered to exchange Whelan and Griner for Russian Viktor Bout, who was sentenced in the United States to 25 years on an arms trafficking charge.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that prisoner exchange negotiations between Russia and the United States are underway, but no concrete decision has yet been made on exchanging Bout for Greiner and Whelan.
Former US Marine Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in the summer of 2020. Whelan pleaded not guilty and called the process political.
Former Soviet soldier Viktor Bout was convicted in the United States in 2011. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges of arms trafficking.
In April 2022, an exchange of convicts took place between Russia and the United States – Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was sentenced to 20 years in the United States on drug smuggling charges, was exchanged for American Trevor Reed, who received nine years in prison in Russia for fighting the police.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.