Baylor Legend Brittney Griner Gets Support from Boston Celtics in NBA Finals
WNBA and Baylor legend Brittney Griner home remains detained in Russia, a pawn in a political game. Meanwhile, as they prepare for a mere basketball game, Boston Celtics players are showing their support by wearing "WE ARE BG" shirts ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
What is at issue?
Griner, the Baylor legend and WNBA superstar, is being used as a political pawn by Russia, which has imprisoned her for allegedly being caught carrying vape cartridges with marijuana oil.
And some believe it gets complicated from there ...
Should the United States government play politics in return with a “prisoner” exchange involving the release of the so-called “Merchant of Death”?
It’s was on Feb. 17 when Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport after local police allegedly found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. The timing was horrid, as since that time Russia has invaded Ukraine, the U.S. has labeled Griner as “wrongfully detained,” her detention has been officially extended, and …
Russian state media has reported that the asking price for Griner’s return be Viktor Bout.
The “Merchant of Death.”
Bout is an arms trafficker, referred to ominously as the “Merchant of Death, so infamous that he is the subject of the Nicolas Cage film "Lord of War."
Writes Yahoo: “When the Soviet Union teetered and collapsed in 1991, Bout, then in his mid-20s, astutely saw opportunity amidst the chaos. Piles of weapons and ammunition lay discarded in dusty warehouses. Military planes sat abandoned on Soviet runways because there was no money for maintenance or fuel, and no one was flying them.
"Relying on his military connections, Bout acquired several massive cargo planes and began transporting various goods, from fresh-cut flowers to frozen foods. But he made his real money, according to authorities, delivering stockpiles of Soviet arms and ammunition to bad actors around the world. This included the Taliban, as well as various fights in Africa.''
In November 2007, Bout was arrested and sentenced to 25 years in a U.S. prison, where he remains today. Yahoo reports that “Bout has been at the top of the Kremlin’s prisoner exchange wish list. Russia has repeatedly signaled its willingness to do a potential swap for jailed Americans, but so far the U.S. has been unwilling to part with Bout.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson tells Fox News Digital that President Biden has been clear about the importance of bringing U.S. nationals who are detained overseas home. Cherelle Griner, Brittney's spouse, expressed impatience in that regard.
"There is one person that can go get her, and that's our president," Griner told ESPN. "He has that power. You know, I'm just like, 'Why are we not using it? Like, urgently, use it.' We're expecting him to use his power to get it done."
Others argue that the issue is more complex than that.
"Biden administration’s potential decision to exchange this heinous Russian criminal, who is serving jail time in the U.S. for being involved in killing Americans, is a huge mistake," former U.S. intel officer Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. "This move will only encourage the Russian intelligence services to grab Americans on Russian soil, so they can be exchanged for much more valuable assets for Putin."
The NBA has announced that it is getting involved in attempting to secure Griner's freedom.