Brittney Griner is home from Russia after a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout. While we’re glad an American citizen is free from a needlessly harsh prison sentence, but we’re concerned about the negative impact this trade creates as a precedent moving forward.
Griner brought a small amount of marijuana vaping oil into Russia, which is against Russian law. No one is denying that Griner is guilty of breaking Russia’s strict drug laws. No one has suggested that her arrest was unlawful. It’s the punishment. From the beginning rumors were that she was going to face an overly harsh sentence if convicted. Then a week later Russia invaded Ukraine and Griner’s detention grew into something larger. A few months later, Griner was sentenced to a ridiculous nine years.
The United States was always in the right to advocate for Griner’s release. Nine years for the small amount of weed oil she had is beyond excessive. But the path the government chose, a prisoner swap, was the wrong one.
Griner does not fit into the criteria of wrongfully detained. Her arrest, detainment, trail, and sentence, all of which are ridiculous, are all consistent with Russia’s garbage laws and their garbage justice system. She has not received any treatment hasher than Russia’s needlessly harsh system permits. And this is no surprise either. This is not Griner’s first trip to Russia, she’s played there for years.
Bout and Griner’s crimes do not compare. Griner is just a harmless weed smoker, Bout is a dangerous, internationally connected, black-market weapons dealer. The precedent for international prisoner swaps has always been similar crimes. Examples of this are well established through the Cold War as America and the Soviets traded spies for spies. The Griner/Bout trade does not meet this standard.
Bill Richardson, former governor and one of the diplomats who negotiated this horrible trade, called Griner “an American icon.” That’s preposterous. No female basketball player is an America icon, not even Cheryl Miller. Not every American is a sports fan and even sports fans don’t watch women’s basketball. She’s just an American who was in a terrible situation, which is enough, there’s no need to overstate it and call her an icon.
Some have suggested that Bout is a low value asset at this point. That claim is silly. Does anyone really believe that Putin would trade for someone who has no value? Are we to believe that Russia was acting purely on the interest of helping a Russian citizen? Do they do that over there?
Bout’s release into Russia is potential harmful to American interests. His actions could put Americans in danger. The same can’t be said about Griner. She is not dangerous. She’s not on the same level of prisoner as Bout, so she shouldn’t have been involved.
Since his return home, Bout has joined a radical political party and mocked the United States for the one-sided trade. This is an international embarrassment.
Paul Whelan is an imprisoned America who is more on the par for an even exchange for someone like Bout. Whelan was convicted of espionage and sentenced to sixteen years. He and the US have always stated the charge as illegitimate, a significant contrast from Griner’s case. Whelan has been in a Russian prison for four years, another contrast as Griner was brought home after a total of ten months, and just a few months after her conviction. Whelan is not gay, another contrast from Griner. If Griner’s sexual orientation played a factor in her elevated status, then this trade is an even bigger embarrassment than we thought.
Brittney Griner’s release gives her a new platform. Before, few knew who she was, and now that has changed drastically. Let’s hope she uses her new platform to become the biggest advocate for Paul Whelan’s release. She knows firsthand the horrors of ten months in Russian prisons, imagine being stuck there for sixteen years.
