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Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger is not entirely satisfied with the US-Russia prisoner exchange, who released WNBA star Brittney Griner, as the Republican expressed dismay that former United States Marine Paul Whelan was not part of the bargaining package and He has been imprisoned for four years.
Through his Twitter, representative Kinzinger expressed his discomfort regarding the exchange of prisoners that was negotiated with Russia, and now the 32 year-old basketball player is flying to the United States, and Viktor Bout a arms smuggler was released from the country to travel to Moscow.
Kinzinger claimed that among the prisoners in Russia is,
Paul Whelan, who was accused of espionage and sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Russian authorities a little less than four years ago.
“So a basketball star is released, We can celebrate, but what about Paul Whelan? An American wrongfully detained for years. He may not be high profile, but he is innocent. This is a dangerous path, ”he wrote he.
So a basketball star is released, we can celebrate, but what about Paul Whelan? An American unfairly detained for years. He may not be high profile but he is innocent.
This is a dangerous road.
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) December 8, 1200
Griner was sentenced last August to 9 years in prison in Russia on drug possession charges, while Bout, known as the “merchant of death”, was serving a sentence of 16 years in prison in the United States for illegal arms trafficking.
“What about the retired Marine who has been wrongfully detained for years,Paul Whelan? Surely one arms dealer is worth more than two innocent people? @POTUS “, Kinzinger reproached President Biden.
Joe Biden, shared in the morning on his Twitter account:” A few moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home.”
“After months of being unfairly detained in Russia, held in intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones , where it should have been all the time,” the president said during a conference.
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