Is Biden saying that Griner didn’t have a weed vape cartridge on the plane? Is he saying the confession was obtained through torture or is otherwise invalid or fraudulent? Or is he saying that weed should be legal in Russia? Also, remember – this bitch didn’t just have weed on her person, she brought it on a plane for international travel. Is Brandon calling for the total normalization of the international drug trade, or does he just want it for blacks?
Is he arguing that black people from the US should be able to go to foreign countries and break the law? American blacks should not only be above American law, but above the laws of all countries?
This is the same thing that happened with Antony Blinken defending those mercenaries fighting for the Ukraine – he was vague enough that you couldn’t tell whether he was saying they weren’t really mercenaries or whether he was denouncing the Geneva Conventions as not fit for purpose.
I’m sure the State Department is giving specifics about their claims on Griner in their filings, but those claims are irrelevant because they’re not being reported by the media and no one is going to go look them up. What matters are Biden’s official statements on the matter.
A Russian court sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison on Thursday after finding her guilty of deliberately bringing cannabis-infused vape cartridges into Russia, a ruling that U.S. President Joe Biden called “unacceptable.”
Griner was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs by police after the ruling, turning to reporters and saying: “I love my family”.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, was arrested in mid-February as she arrived to play for a Russian side during the WNBA offseason. Her case threw the Texan into the geopolitical maelstrom triggered when President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, propelling U.S.-Russian relations to a new post-Cold War low.
Her sentencing could now pave the way for a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap that would include the 31-year-old athlete and an imprisoned Russian who was once a prolific arms dealer.
Yeah, this is hilarious. Whether the arms dealer is guilty or not is irrelevant (he was probably guilty of something, frankly) – the US charged him with arms dealing and they’re saying that is equal to a celebrity basketball player who they claim is actually innocent somehow.
Griner had admitted having the vape cartridges containing hashish oil but said she had made an honest mistake by inadvertently packing them.
Before the verdict, she tearfully pleaded with a Russian judge not to “end her life” with a harsh prison sentence. The court also fined her 1 million roubles ($16,990).
Biden, under pressure to bring home Americans held in Russia, called on Russia to free Griner immediately and said his administration would continue to work for her release.
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” he said in a statement.
BREAKING: Pres. Biden on Brittney Griner's sentence in Russian drug trial: "Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates." https://t.co/sloL1ViXWs pic.twitter.com/hCZ6eoa83N
— ABC News (@ABC) August 4, 2022
“It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.”
Haha. I thought she was divorced, but the Wiki says she was remarried.
Serious country, by the way, folks. I just want to remind you that America is a very serious country.
Griner’s lawyers said they would appeal a verdict they said was “absolutely unreasonable”. Her defence team said the court had ignored all evidence they had presented, as well as Griner’s guilty plea.
“She is very upset, very stressed,” said Maria Blagovolina, partner at Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin and Partners, after the hearing. “She can hardly talk. It’s a difficult time for her.”
The Russian prosecutor had called for Griner to be sentenced to 9-1/2 years prison if she was found guilty of bringing illegal drugs into the country.
See – the media keeps reporting this like it was just a possession charge, but it was a trafficking charge. And she confessed.
If you go back through the news archives, you can find that ten years ago, American courts would give you at least this sentence for bringing weed on a plane from another country. But of course, Russia is expected to pass laws matching America’s moral imperative within days after America passes the laws, or they become an immoral country. We are ten years on from gay marriage being legal in America, and Russia still hasn’t legalized that.
Griner was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17 with the cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. While she pleaded guilty, she said she had neither intended to bring a banned substance to Russia nor to hurt anybody.
“I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn’t end my life here,” Griner said in court on Thursday before breaking down in tears.
“My parents taught me two important things: one, take ownership of your responsibilities and two, work hard for everything that you have. That’s why I pled guilty to my charges.”
No, you pled guilty to the charges because you’re a dumb black bitch, and you’d already admitted to the police that you were guilty.
Black people always do this. I guess a lot of white people do to, but blacks do it every time. There is never any reason, in any country, to admit to a crime, unless it is part of a plea deal.
“I want to say again that I had no intent on breaking any Russians laws,” she told the court. “I had no intent, I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime.”
Griner also referred to the international politics around her case, saying: “I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that is far from this courtroom”.
Cannabis is illegal in Russia for both medicinal and recreational purposes.
Griner’s defence team had called for her to be acquitted. Alexander Boikov, one of her lawyers, said some of the case files had been drawn up in violation of the law.
The United States has offered to exchange Russian prisoners for American citizens including Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.
One source familiar with the situation said that Washington was willing to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, whose life helped inspire the 2005 Hollywood film “Lord of War” starring Nicholas Cage.
Russian officials have said a deal has not been reached. They argue that Griner – known as “BG” to basketball fans – violated laws and should be judged accordingly.
The fact that Biden is claiming she is innocent and also saying that he’s going to trade someone who is guilty for her release means that he is saying that Russia can just kidnap Americans and use them as geopolitical trading tokens. He is encouraging Russia to kidnap black Americans (I don’t think this is what is actually happening, but based on Biden’s statements, this is what he is implying.)
What if Russia highjacks a plane carrying an entire WNBA team and their wives, then demands NATO withdraw from the Ukraine as a condition of the basketballers’ release? This doesn’t make any sense.
❤️ BG pic.twitter.com/pCB21HjMXl
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 4, 2022
This is literally an international Black Lives Matter case, which is funny.
Donald Trump got China to release some blacks who went on a crime spree in China. People are posting it on Twitter now – these three good boys were also facing ten years.
Remember when Trump got those 3 basketball players out of China that were accused of shoplifting, and didn't pay anything?
Yah. that was great. https://t.co/z2QLvLzsZG
— Liberty Never Sleeps Podcast (@LibertyNeverSlp) August 4, 2022
Countries will release black people if you just say “man, they can’t help themselves.” It’s just considered a favor. I don’t think anyone thinks that this huge bitch is a threat to Russia, and could just be released with a lifelong ban. But there is no reason that Russia should want to help the US, so she is being treated the same way a Russian would be treated for doing the same thing.
Maybe Biden should go out and claim it’s inhumane because the bitch is too big for the jail cell?
Bet she’d love to kneel for the anthem now.
— GreEn Sea buG tHing (@Planktonamor) August 4, 2022
When you finally find a place that doesn’t play the US national anthem
— Eric (@ericosider) August 4, 2022
Lock her up
— roy ruehle (@RoyRuehle) August 4, 2022
Well she is guilty lol.
— Roberto (@promexico) August 4, 2022
Yeah she’s done for
— Braylon™️ (@Brayyylonn) August 4, 2022