ESPN Insider Calls Brittney Griner Russian Trial A 'Sham'
For Baylor Bears and current WNBA superstar, Brittney Griner has been in detainment in Russia for over 130 days, following an arrest at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.
Griner was allegedly found to be in possession of cannabis oil vape cartridges and is being charged with large-scale transportation of drugs.
Griner could spend up to as many as 10 years in a Russian prison if convicted.
However, according to ESPN Insider T.J. Quinn, Griner's trial, which began on July 1, is a 'sham trial', that is providing nothing but theatre for the Russian government.
"There has been no public evidence of guilt or innocence," Quinn Tweeted. "Doesn’t matter. It’s a sham trial designed to create negotiating leverage. And how do we know it’s a sham trial? Because Russia has offered to trade her. Once you’re negotiating over someone they’re no longer a defendant, they’re a hostage. Everything else is theater."
Quinn also believes that the outcome of the trial has already been decided and that it is only a matter of when, not if, Griner is found guilty.
The Russian government is also rumored to want to use Griner as a negotiation tactic, in a prisoner exchange. However, according to Quinn, she is not the only American in Russian custody that is being used in this manner.
"There is an American man named Paul Whelan who was arrested in 2018," Quinn said. "He is still there. There is a recognition that the Biden administration would have a very hard time bringing one of them home and not the other."
Whelan was arrested in Moscow on espionage charges. He has denied that claim.
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Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of InsideTheBears.com, TheGroveReport.com, RamDigest.com, AllSeahawks.com, and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com