Hey guys,
My apologies that this post is being sent so late - I’ve been pretty busy today, packing for a trip tomorrow. But don’t worry, I will most likely continue to publish during my short vacay.
Also because it is late, this will be one of my shorter posts. That’s not to say this story is not important, however.
Now, let’s begin!
Today, August 4th, the Russian court has sentenced American WNBA star Brittney Griner to 9 years in a penal colony for bringing “cannabis-infused vape cartridges” into the country. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested in mid-February for the crime, and was thrown into the geopolitical chaos of the Ukraine War. The case was batted around for a while, with a key controversial piece of evidence being a doctor’s note. Her defense team said that this, as well as other key points they made, was completely ignored. Biden agreed with this, calling the ruling “unacceptable.”
From my own opinion, it seems that this is a geopolitical play by Russia, either in response to the US’s sanctions or perhaps to do a prisoner exchange with America. And the US seems to be leaning toward the latter, as they have offered a prisoner swap.
This is no surprise, when you examine the Russian sentence. Where does Griner have to stay for her imprisonment? A penal colony. A New York Times article gave a horrifying description for the camps - almost akin to the gulags of the Soviet Union:
Some prisoners are tortured, or beaten by fellow inmates. Some have to work 16-hour days. A few are forced to watch Russian propaganda on repeat.
This is the world of the Russian penal colony, into which Brittney Griner is about to be inducted for a nine-year term.
Yikes. Griner’s being sent to the same place that Putin sends dissenters. She must be freed as soon as possible.
This is a developing story, so keep an eye on your news sources for its resolution.
What a frightening verdict. I hope the US can bring her home soon!