Tiktuknu: Summary of the day in sports, 9.12 (Sport1)
Basketball player Brittany Greiner was released from prison in Russia, while tonight (between Thursday and Friday) a video of her getting on the plane on her way to her homeland was even published, and in the US they continue to discuss the decision made by the White House for the controversial deal, in the framework of which the US released from prison Victor Bott, who was called a "dealer death".
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Almost ten months after Greiner was arrested at a Moscow airport with marijuana residue in her bag, there were moments of joy and relief in the Purple Room of the White House yesterday when President Joe Biden told her she was "coming home."
It was at the end of long and frustrating negotiations and one painful decision that left another detained American disappointed and wondering what his fate might be: as part of the negotiations, the Americans tried to release former Navy man Paul Whelan, who was detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, but without success.
CNN analyzed the deal and claimed: "In conversations with all government channels, Russian officials were clear with their American counterparts: they would release Greiner - and only Greiner - in exchange for the convicted arms dealer ... 'Because of the high profile of the issue, there was no doubt that this condition was set by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself,' a US official said... Despite Biden's attempts to link Greiner's case to that of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who was arrested on espionage charges in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison two years later Moreover, it recently became clear that Putin would not budge... 'The choice was to bring Brittany Griner home right now, or not bring anyone home right now,' said a senior administration official.
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"As winter approaches at the penal colony where Greiner was held, Biden faced a special presidential decision. Welcoming Greiner home would fulfill a promise and end the nightmare she and her family have endured. But any victory will be tempered by the inability to secure Whelan's freedom and add an inevitable blow to his release of one of the most active arms dealers in recent decades.... The situation became even more complicated when senior law enforcement officials were outraged at the possibility of releasing such a notorious figure who took years to capture, and even feared the precedent that Bott's release would set, so they raised strong objections. But Biden made a decision, and closed the deal."
According to the president, "The fact is that she lost months of her life, and experienced unnecessary trauma. Now she deserves her space, privacy and time with her loved ones to heal and recover from her time in unlawful detention," he said.
His decision was made after very heavy public pressure and the mobilization of the sports community and quite a few celebrities for Greiner.
The White House said she was suffering "intolerable circumstances" during her detention, and there were concerns about the health and well-being of Greiner, who is black and lesbian, in a country not known for its tolerance.
However, at the same time Whelan's family also began to create pressure, which was of no use.
Bout was convicted in 2011 of conspiring to kill American citizens, but it was made clear to Biden that he no longer posed a danger to the American public and would not return to the arms trade.
The Russians threatened to blow up the deal, claiming they were only ready for one-on-one.
Whelan continues to wait.
"I still don't know why I'm in prison, I'm disappointed," Whelan said.
According to a CNN analysis, "Putin agrees to a diplomatic media deal with the US to restore a figure of great importance and complexity to Russia's elite, intelligence community and national pride.
This is a person of mythological importance to the Russian elite.
He is not someone Moscow would want to 'leave behind'... Many believe that when Bout served in Africa, he had close ties to members of the Russian elite who are now close to Putin.
Is this why the US invested so much time and money to stop him?"
Be that as it may, the media in Russia are hailing the move as a "victory" for Putin, and the RT network linked to the government wrote in an opinion piece that "the deal is proof that Russia will win in the end, and the fact is that the U.S. decided to keep its spy in a Russian prison." Parliament ridicules the American "folding down": "Russia does not forget its sons, while America leaves them behind".
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Brittany Greiner
Russia
Joe Biden