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Force10rulz
Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Posts: 1966
Location: Puget Sound
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 Posted: 06/20/22 7:28 am ::: |
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| NYL_WNBA_FAN wrote: |
https://sports.yahoo.com/russias-asking-price-for-brittney-griner-may-be-notorious-arms-trafficker-004449470.html
Never mind all the comments you hear from those who criticize Griner and the wnba for their respective stances on social causes. The criticisms of BG have obvious roots in racism. As a country we used to be united on things like this. |
United? No this country has been divided since the slaughter of my people and the slavery of Africans. I’m far from perfect when it comes to this board but no one came to my defense when I was being cyberstalkec, even changing my handle didn’t work. This country is rooted and steeped in racism as is this board.
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ChicagoAnnie
Joined: 04 Sep 2009
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ChiSky54
Joined: 19 Jun 2019
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Location: Chicago
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| Posted: 06/21/22 6:21 am ::: |
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https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-american-basketball-player-griner-broke-law-faces-prosecution-ria-2022-06-20/
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| Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, interviewed by the U.S. television network NBC news, also said U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, held in Russia for more than two months, was guilty of drug offences and not a hostage. |
| Quote: |
GRINER'S PROSECUTION
Peskov said Griner, who had come to promote basketball in Russia, was being prosecuted under laws forbidding the import of drugs.
"Russia is not the sole country in the world to have quite strict laws in that sense...it is prosecuted by law. We can do nothing about that," Peskov told NBC.
He "strongly disagreed" with any notion that Griner, who arrived in Russia in February, was being held hostage.
"We cannot call her a hostage. Why should we call her a hostage?" he said. "She violated Russian law and now she is being prosecuted. It not about being a hostage."
Russian customs officials say vape cartridges containing hashish oil were found in Griner's luggage.
The U.S. State Department determined in May that Griner was wrongfully detained and assigned diplomats to work for her release. Her wife, Cherelle Griner, has said she is a political pawn. |
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SportsGuru
Joined: 20 May 2005
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| Posted: 06/21/22 3:24 pm ::: |
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Per Meredith Cash Business Insider:
"We deeply regret that Brittney Griner was unable to speak to her wife over the weekend because of a logistical error... It is a mistake that we have worked to rectify. As we said before, the call has been rescheduled and will take place in relatively short order."
https://twitter.com/mercash22/status/1539314469582643200
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johnjohnW
Joined: 11 Aug 2020
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WfanFrJmp
Joined: 24 May 2016
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
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Location: New York City
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| Posted: 06/27/22 11:04 am ::: |
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| johnjohnW wrote: |
| Not sure what this truly means. Hopeful for something good but realistic that little will. |
Months ago there were posts in this thread taking very seriously the specifics of the Russian legal system and the promise that something would happen regarding Brittney Griner on May 19th. I said then that it was all meaningless.
Now we're told that Griner's court case will begin on July 1st. I hope it's true. I hope it's a speedy trial. I hope Griner is found not guilty and allowed to leave Russia immediately. If not, then I hope Griner is found guilty and kicked out of Russia immediately.
But I say the same as I've said all along: trust NOTHING here. The July 1st date could be postponed. The court case could take forever. Bottom line: Putin will decide what he wants to do with Griner. No one else's vote counts. I hope that for whatever reasons, and with whatever public rationale, Putin decides to get rid of Brittney Griner and she can come home as soon as possible.
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hyperetic
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Posts: 5360
Location: Fayetteville
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| Posted: 06/27/22 12:30 pm ::: |
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| Bob Lamm wrote: |
| Now we're told that Griner's court case will begin on July 1st. I hope it's true. I hope it's a speedy trial. I hope Griner is found not guilty and allowed to leave Russia immediately. If not, then I hope Griner is found guilty and kicked out of Russia immediately. |
So they can't put her in a Russian jail for 10 years? |
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Admiral_Needa
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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Location: Tiburon, CA
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| Posted: 06/27/22 4:14 pm ::: |
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mercfan
Joined: 08 May 2013
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| Posted: 06/27/22 4:21 pm ::: |
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10 years is something I'd like to not think about. Potentially darker times could be coming pertaining to BG.
Also I’m a bit confused. Is the trial starting July 1 WITH a 6 month extension or did July 1 get pushed back 6 months?
Are we allowed to be extremely disappointed in our current administration and media? I feel like this is getting ridiculous. I know “it’s Russia” but like wtf do something. I don’t want to start a political debate, but as a Biden voter, I am losing trust as I feel like our last 4 presidents would have sealed the deal. I’m probably speaking out of emotion but I have ZERO faith that anything is being done by the White House. Sorry.
When are we going to get angry?
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
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| Posted: 06/27/22 4:42 pm ::: |
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The Washington Post reports that Griner had a preliminary hearing today (in which she presumably pleaded not guilty), that her trial will begin on July 1, that she will continue to be detained pending the trial outcome, and that her lawyer says her trial could last two months.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/27/brittney-griner-trial-date/
I have no idea why a simple trial for drug possession would take two months. It should take two hours. She either possessed the vape cartridges or she didn't, and the grams of cannabis/hashish oil she possessed, which determines the sentencing for guilt, should be easily determinable.
The only thing I've ever read from mainstream media about the legal sentencing is that she can be sentenced to "up to 10 years" in jail, per the original NYT reporting months ago. This is superficial legal research on the part of reporters, because a 3-10 year sentence would only apply if Griner possessed 5 grams or more of cannabis/hashish oil. As I attempted to clarify, under the Russian criminal code, Griner could get away with just a fine and no jail time if she possessed less than 5 grams of oil.
This assumes the trial is conducted solely under the Russian criminal code without political influence, which many folks are skeptical about. |
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coffy73
Joined: 24 Sep 2009
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| Posted: 06/27/22 4:48 pm ::: |
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| mercfan wrote: |
10 years is something I'd like to not think about. Potentially darker times could be coming pertaining to BG.
Also I’m a bit confused. Is the trial starting July 1 WITH a 6 month extension or did July 1 get pushed back 6 months?
Are we allowed to be extremely disappointed in our current administration and media? I feel like this is getting ridiculous. I know “it’s Russia” but like wtf do something. I don’t want to start a political debate, but as a Biden voter, I am losing trust as I feel like our last 4 presidents would have sealed the deal. I’m probably speaking out of emotion but I have ZERO faith that anything is being done by the White House. Sorry.
When are we going to get angry? |
Yes, you are speaking out of emotions, as if this stuff is so easy to accomplish for any government. US Marine Trevor Reed was imprisoned in Russia during Trump's administration, he didn't get him out, Biden did. That said, there are some 100 Americans wrongly imprisoned around the world, essentially hostages in rogue states. There are many Americans that have been held much longer than Brit and they too were pretty much framed as Griner surely was. I hope Brit gets out asap, but I hope the others do as well!
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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Location: Queens
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| Posted: 06/27/22 6:08 pm ::: |
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And as much as I hate to say it, we also have to look at the price demanded for her release. Remember the rumor going around that they wanted to exchange an arms dealer for her? You know, the one nicknamed the Merchant of Death? I would love to see Griner go free, but if the price is also setting free someone who goes on to supply weapons of brutal, bloody war... great for the W, not so much for the rest of the world.
This sucks. It all sucks.
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 06/27/22 6:14 pm ::: |
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| GlennMacGrady wrote: |
| I have no idea why a simple trial for drug possession would take two months. It should take two hours. |
The most likely explanation is that it's being drawn out for political purposes
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CalwbbFan
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014
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| Posted: 06/27/22 6:49 pm ::: |
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| Can the prosecutor ask for a continuation (or whatever they call a delay there) on Friday and periodically thereafter? Look at how far our own court systems are backed up due to COVID interruptions. Maybe theirs are as well.
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CalwbbFan
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: 06/27/22 6:55 pm ::: |
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| FrozenLVFan wrote: |
| Can the prosecutor ask for a continuation (or whatever they call a delay there) on Friday and periodically thereafter? Look at how far our own court systems are backed up due to COVID interruptions. Maybe theirs are as well. |
FYI there is nothing legit about the Russian legal system so comparing it to the US system seems irrelevant. Less than 1% end up in acquittals.. that should tell you something -> https://imrussia.org/en/analysis/3255-how-russian-courts-create-their-own-reality
“ The majority of Russians do not trust the courts, according to the polls—and rightly so. A number of factors contribute to the country’s legal troubles, including a low ethical and professional level of judges, dependence on the executive power, inquisitorial practices in criminal proceedings. The already poor state of affairs has worsened in recent years, as judges turned to forging facts and creating their own reality that defies logic and common sense. …Russian criminal courts have a long-standing habit of making judgments in favor of the government, which has eroded the entire justice system. Russian criminal proceedings have always been inquisitorial: the rate of acquittals in Russia for non-jury courts (99 percent of all cases) has been less than one percent for many years and is still declining. The public perception is that this is done to protect people from criminals, but this argument barely holds water: for instance, the level of acquittals in the U.S. federal courts in the US is about 9 percent. This “protect public interests” approach in criminal proceedings has had a spill-over effect and now become common in civil courts as well...”
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
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| Posted: 06/27/22 7:08 pm ::: |
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Thank you. I've been saying this here for months--including a post just this morning--but some people keep making absurd comparisons to the U.S. criminal justice system and/or take at face value the way the Russian criminal justice system looks on paper. It's ridiculous.
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 06/27/22 8:04 pm ::: |
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| You think the majority of Americans trust our courts?
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
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| Posted: 06/27/22 8:30 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| You think the majority of Americans trust our courts? |
Of course not. (And it's not just our courts, but our entire criminal justice system.) That's part of why some of the discussion here about Russia has been so bizarre.
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CalwbbFan
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: 06/27/22 8:54 pm ::: |
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| Bob Lamm wrote: |
| pilight wrote: |
| You think the majority of Americans trust our courts? |
Of course not. (And it's not just our courts, but our entire criminal justice system.) That's part of why some of the discussion here about Russia has been so bizarre. |
No, but I also think Russian courts are a total sham. This isn’t a discussion about the US, so-called “justice” system. That’s for another thread. My point has been that Griner’s situation is, as with other Americans held in Russia, a hostage situation.
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Ex-Ref
Joined: 04 Oct 2009
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| Posted: 06/29/22 8:15 am ::: |
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| Quote: |
When fellow American Trevor Reed was released in a prisoner swap in April, (Paul) Whelan asked, rightfully, why he was left behind. It’s a question that will be repeated should Griner come home and Whelan remains behind bars.
As Cunningham said, 130 days is too long for someone wrongfully imprisoned. So is the 1,200 or so in Whelan’s case.
Both need to come home as soon as possible. Reaching that conclusion is easy. Making it happen is far more complicated. |
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2022/06/29/brittney-griner-phoenix-mercury-russia-imprisonment-release-complicated/7764231001/
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: 06/29/22 7:26 pm ::: |
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| Quote: |
| When fellow American Trevor Reed was released in a prisoner swap in April, (Paul) Whelan asked, rightfully, why he was left behind. It’s a question that will be repeated should Griner come home and Whelan remains behind bars. |
The charges against Whelan are espionage. That would be why he would come home after Reed and possibly Griner, neither of whom was charged with something as significant as espionage. If he is going to convince us that Griner is innocent based on the assurance of a teammate in another country, he should add some quote from Cunningham that when the Mercury players smoke pot, Griner never participates or Griner repeatedly warned players about Russia not being a place for drugs, etc.
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CalwbbFan
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MuneravenMN
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| Posted: 06/30/22 1:02 pm ::: |
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| mercfan wrote: |
10 years is something I'd like to not think about. Potentially darker times could be coming pertaining to BG.
Also I’m a bit confused. Is the trial starting July 1 WITH a 6 month extension or did July 1 get pushed back 6 months?
Are we allowed to be extremely disappointed in our current administration and media? I feel like this is getting ridiculous. I know “it’s Russia” but like wtf do something. I don’t want to start a political debate, but as a Biden voter, I am losing trust as I feel like our last 4 presidents would have sealed the deal. I’m probably speaking out of emotion but I have ZERO faith that anything is being done by the White House. Sorry.
When are we going to get angry? |
What exactly could any White House do? They can't just stop opposing this war and let Russia take over Ukraine and murder thousands of civilians to get back one athlete. They can't send in troops. Even exchanging Griner for a murderous arms dealer feels really wrong.
I ache for Griner. I hate this situation. But when a crazy country with nukes decides to imprison one person, options are severely limited.
Besides, if they are negotiating anything they would never, ever make it public because Putin will twist anything to his advantage.
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