Basketball star Brittney Griner was the subject of considerable attention in recent months when she was detained in Russia on Feb. 17 for possession of hashish oil. Russia has a stringent policy on drug possession in comparison to other countries around the world. According to CNN, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison for alleged drug smuggling. On Dec. 8, Griner was finally brought home as part of a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Bout had been imprisoned in the U.S. for nearly ten years for terrorism and arms dealing.

Brittney was brought home safely but at what cost? Viktor Bout is the cost. Bout, otherwise notoriously referred to as “The Merchant of Death” was held as a prisoner in the U.S. for nearly ten years for his many acts of terrorism and arms dealing. Viktor was the main reason for many people dying in multiple terrorist attacks as he supplies weapons to many different terrorist groups. So why would the U.S. let him go? Brittney Griner is known as a “celebrity” here in the U.S. but was she really worth releasing and putting an arms dealer back in the streets?

Currently, former marine Paul Whelan is detained in Russia and has been for four years now.

According to NPR, “Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan was detained in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges, found guilty in a closed trial, and is now nearly three years into a 16-year prison sentence.”

Paul has gotten zero media attention and it seemed like no one cared to bring him back. Before this Brittney Griner case barely anyone had even heard his name. So why is a former marine who helped fight for our country not home yet but a basketball star who has not done nearly as much to help the U.S. and society being traded for someone who could harm our society?

Many of these questions have been asked with no response or solutions and there are many more to ask. Hopefully, these questions will be answered soon because many people including myself want answers.