“America is not doing enough” Journalist who was jailed in IRAN, casts doubts over Brittney Griner’s rescue efforts
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Brittney Griner, Jason Rezaian
Former Iranian captive Jason Rezaian said in his opinion column that Brittney Griner‘s arrest was the most recent push for the US to step up its response when Americans are held hostage. Rezaian was taken into custody in Tehran in 2016 and imprisoned for over two years in Iran’s Evin Prison.
Brittney Griner, the American basketball player, was arrested after being detained in mid-February at an airport south of Moscow on suspicion of having cannabis oil in her luggage. After more than 200 days in a Russian jail, Griner was found guilty of narcotics offenses and now faces a nine-year prison term.
Furthermore, there have been no significant developments about her possibility of returning to the United States of America. Griner’s family, including her wife, Cherelle, was recently visited by President Joe Biden. The visit inspired Cherelle to continue advocating for Griner’s safe return to the United States.
Brittney Griner’s situation looking disconsolate as of now
Brittney Griner was detained by Russian authorities on suspicion of possessing illegal vape cartridges loaded with marijuana oil when she was seized at Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17. During the WNBA off-season summer, Griner plays basketball abroad to enhance her income and improve her level of experience.
Griner was competing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League at the time of her arrest. Griner asserted to have a doctor’s prescription for the cannabis oil and to have packed hurriedly, but she was not of how it ended up in her luggage.
Since being selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the 2013 WNBA draft out of Baylor University, Brittney Griner has been a crucial member of the team. The 31-year-old was selected in 2021 as one of the top 25 players in league history and is acknowledged as one of the best defensive players in the Women’s National Basketball Association. She earned the Player of the Year Award and a national collegiate championship in 2012, and since beginning her professional career in 2013 with the US women’s national basketball team, she has also won two Olympic gold medals and a WNBA championship.
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Jason Rezaian about America’s terrible stance on wrongfully detained prisoners
In Iran, renowned Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian had a similar scenario to Brittney Griner. He made a statement about her condition and raised some crucial problems related to it. Rezaian said that her followers should show their support for her in these trying times by speaking up and being honest about it.
He also said that he doesn’t think she will get back up anytime soon. Griner became a political pawn as a result of the decision to keep her case private. However, some feel that the US government ought to be doing more to assist Griner, particularly as the number of US citizens being held captive abroad increases.
The Griner case was assigned by the Biden administration in May to a team for hostage affairs tasked with negotiating the release of Americans who are being held hostage and other persons who are allegedly being detained unlawfully abroad. Along with the WNBA star, several Americans are also involved in a potential agreement.
The deal includes Paul Whelan, a former spy who was found guilty of espionage. It’s possible that Griner may soon return home, though as Russian officials recently revealed that talks are underway with the US about sending Griner back to the US as part of a prisoner swap.
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Irvin Philip
(701 Articles Published)