A Juggle of Freedom Between a Veteran and a Basketball Player
By: Briyana Targete
One of the most immoral prisoner swaps of our government’s history took place on December 8, 2022, when the U.S. Government traded a recently detained WNBA player, Brittney Griner, for Russian warlord Viktor Bout instead of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who has been suffering in Russia for six years. The U.S. originally agreed to exchange Griner and Whelan for Bout, but days after the presidential election, Russia raised the idea of excluding Whelan from the deal. Through all negotiations, Russia remained adamant about its decision to hold the former marine, and the U.S. unquestionably agreed to let Whelan remain in the labor camps. During her offseason, Griner was detained in the Moscow airport when she was found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. The basketball player was sentenced to serve nine years in Russian labor camps for the contents of her luggage. This prisoner swap was seen as unpatriotic to many Americans since, as of 2018, Paul Whelan, a former marine, has been held hostage in Russia. The Biden Administration’s decision to take part in a prisoner swap is not only immoral, but also immensely impractical.
In some ways, Ms. Griner’s incarceration is justified. Ms. Griner consciously knew she was in possession of marijuana products as she entered the notoriously strict country that has banned all marijuana products and usage since 1934. It is not unusual for Russian citizens to serve jail time for drug possession. However, since Griner is a well-known American athlete, the heightened media presence forced the hand of the Biden administration to act quickly, and even impulsively.
Paul Whelan, a veteran who has repeatedly insisted on his innocence, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Considering Paul Whelan’s unjust capture, in addition to his great dedication to the United States, it was unfair for the United States to not better aid his release. Paul Whelan was arrested in Moscow on loosely based espionage charges. Mr. Whelan is an American veteran who served extensively in Iraq and was the head of global security for BorgWarner. Mr. Whelan is a proud veteran of this country who has served on multiple military branches for years. After hearing the news about Ms. Griner’s release, Whelan said he is “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure [his]release.” In order to emphasize the direness of his situation, Whelan went so far as to go on a hunger strike. Not only he, but his family is greatly disappointed in the government’s priorities. The Biden administration should have remained firm on their original agreement of exchanging Griner and Whelan for Bout.
In contrast to Britney Griner, Viktor Bout’s release from the United States prison system has placed many in serious danger. High profile Viktor Bout, commonly known as the “merchant of death,” is a Russian arms dealer who was accused of conspiracy charges to kill Americans and U.S. officials, delivering anti-aircraft missiles, and helping various terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East and war-torn parts of Africa by supplying weapons of mass destruction. The Merchant of Death has aided so many terrorist organizations and corrupted countries that, in 2005, there was a film made loosely based on his life named the “Lord of War.” Even though Mr. Bout has committed heinous acts, his ties to Russian security services and power connections make him a patriot in Russia. Freeing Bout gave Putin an upper hand in the ongoing internal war between Russia and the United States. This one man’s freedom is at the expense of an uncountable number of lives worldwide. Yet, this key fact seems to be overlooked for the sake of a law-breaking basketball player.
The fault does not lie on the Russian government for enforcing their previously embedded laws. Rather, the fault lies on the U.S. government for not handling their renowned veteran with the utmost respect and seriousness. By allowing an honorable U.S. veteran to be held hostage for six years, without any consideration of his release, the U.S. Government has tainted its reputation. With all of this in mind, the Biden Administration’s decision to take part in a prisoner swap is not only immoral, but also immensely impractical.
Britney Griner walking with Russian authorities amidst her release.
