XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.crime, talk.politics.guns
XPost: alt.politics.republicans
In article <t2ro34$3qskc$
110@news.freedyn.de>
governor.swill@gmail.com wrote:
Trump says that it is justly deserved because Californians vote Democrat.
MOSCOW -- The spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry lashed
out Thursday at the United States characterizing basketball star
Brittney Griner's jailing on drug charges as "wrongful
detention," saying it shows disrespect for Russian law.
Griner has been jailed since she was arrested in mid-February at
a Moscow airport after vape canisters containing hashish oil
were found in her luggage. The Phoenix Mercury standout and two-
time Olympic gold medalist acknowledged in court this month that
she had the canisters but said she had no intent to break the
law.
She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Her trial is
scheduled to resume Tuesday.
The State Department in May designated Griner as wrongfully
detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special
presidential envoy for hostage affairs -- effectively, the
government's chief hostage negotiator. On Tuesday, President Joe
Biden signed an executive order aimed at increasing the flow of
information to families of Americans detained abroad and at
imposing sanctions on the criminals, terrorists or government
officials who hold them captive.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said
Thursday that the legalization of cannabis for medical and
recreational use in parts of the U.S. has no bearing on what
happens in Russia.
"If a U.S. citizen was taken in connection with the fact that
she was smuggling drugs, and she does not deny this, then this
should be commensurate with our Russian, local laws, and not
with those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington,"
Zakharova said.
Russian media have speculated that Griner could be exchanged for
prominent Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in
the United States, and that Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned
in Russia for espionage, may also figure in an exchange.
U.S. officials have not commented on the prospects for such a
trade. Russian officials have said no exchange could be
discussed until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against
Griner. It is unclear how long the trial will last, but a court
has authorized Griner's detention until Dec. 20.
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/34274909/russian-official- united-states-disrespectful-wrongful-detention-claim-brittney-
griner
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