Brittney Griner Is A Pawn In This Game!

Free Brittney.

American basketball star Brittney Griner is facing up to 20 years in a Russian federal time out for allegedly bringing cannabis oil into the Federation. The United States condemns the Russians and believe she is being held hostage. The WNBA and NBA has formally called for her release.

The players all show solidarity for her as she is facing a possibility of death in the federal time outs.

Griner's wife has also feels like the U.S. isn't doing enough to save her. It's not much the U.S. can do.

The reasons is because Russia does not have an extradition treaty. The only thing the U.S. can do in particular is a prisoner swap. It's a hard task that could involve non-U.S. officials and a mediator.

Also held in Russia is Paul Whalen, a former U.S. military official and contractor who was accused of espionage. He is held in the federal time out and has 20 years on his life.

Then the two Americans who fought with Ukrainian soldiers. Alexander John-Robert Drueke and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh are facing a possible death squad. The two men were capture in Ukraine by Russian backed separatists who then turned them over to Russian officials.

Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury.

Russian authorities have Brittney held in custody.

The U.S. officials have not said whether swaps are being discussed that could get Griner, Whalen or both home or whether they'd accept a deal that yields the release of one without the other. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department that advocates for wrongfully detained Americans, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), declined to say how how the cases might affect each other but said in a statement that the office remains committed to securing the release of both.

Russia is extremely hostile to those who are LGBTQ. Griner who stands at 6'9" and openly gay. 

The Russians are likely going to torture her.

She was there to play for UMMC Yekaterinburg. She was earning $1 million from the franchise. She had no choice. The WNBA cap for pay was $230,000. She wanted to take care of her wife and children.