U.S. News
Dennis Rodman to travel to Russia to negotiate Brittney Griner’s release
- Dennis Rodman said that he received clearance from the U.S. to travel to Russia to negotiate the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner.
- Griner was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment for allegedly carrying cannabis.
- There are also discussions of a possible prisoner swap that includes former U.S. marine, Paul Whelan.
Dennis Rodman will be traveling to Russia this week to attempt to negotiate Brittney Griner’s release from prison.
The NBA Hall of Famer told NBC News, “I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl. I’m trying to go this week.”
Griner was detained in February for allegedly carrying cannabis in vape containers while at a Moscow airport. On Aug. 4, she was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment for drug possession. Her legal team appealed on Aug. 15, but the details are yet unclear.
The basketball star has been seen as an unofficial diplomatic representative for the U.S. in the past years.
Rodman became friends with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after a basketball exhibition in Pyongyang in 2013, and has since traveled back and forth. He was credited for helping with the release of Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae. A North Korean court sentenced Bae in 2013 to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the country’s government.
Rodman tweeted at the time, “I’m calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him “Kim,” to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose.”
He later retracted the statements and returned to North Korea but not to negotiate for Bae’s release. He also went on a rant when former CNN host Chris Cuomo asked him about Bae in an interview. Still, the rant provided widespread publicity for Bae, who thanked Rodman for “being the catalyst” of his 2014 release.
That same year, Rodman visited Moscow on a basketball trip and described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “cool guy.” However, he dismissed any notions of politics and told Fox Business that he was just a “basketball ambassador.”
Rodman himself has had run-ins with the law through the years, including a charge of simple battery in 2019 after slapping a man at a bar.
On the subject of Griner’s case, there are talks of a possible prisoner swap that includes former U.S. marine, Paul Whelan.
Source: HuffPost
CharlieSeattle
August 22, 2022 at 6:45 pm
…yawn, a Russian spy will be traded for her at a later date, …as usual.
Laurie
August 22, 2022 at 7:04 pm
They’ll find something to arrest Rodman for
Leslie
August 22, 2022 at 11:32 pm
Yes BG’s problems are a drag, but he/she brought them on himself.
My problem with this whole mess is a man identifying as a women and taking advantage of womens sports. Also married to a woman and saying he’s a lesbian, this insults real lesbians!
This whole thing of promoting false people has gone to far for to long! People need to be comfortable with who they were born as, love who they want to love without pretending to be something else.
WAKE UP PEOPLE and just be yourself
All the Botox and silicone does not make you more beautiful either, learn to love yourself as you were born……
kjj
August 23, 2022 at 2:44 pm
I hope Rodman leaves his blow at home. One druggy trying to get another druggy out of prison.
Everett
August 23, 2022 at 5:53 pm
they can keep him in Russia for all I care. The more communist fascist left-wing nuts we can send over there, means we don’t have to put up with ’em over here.