Joe Rogan calls detained WNBA star Brittney Griner the ‘clearest form of political prisoner’

After spending months in pre-trial detention in Russia for allegedly entering the country with cannabis oil, Brittney Griner’s case is finally gaining attention in…

By: Karim Zidan | 11 months ago
Joe Rogan calls detained WNBA star Brittney Griner the ‘clearest form of political prisoner’
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

After spending months in pre-trial detention in Russia for allegedly entering the country with cannabis oil, Brittney Griner’s case is finally gaining attention in the United States.

Stars like LeBron James, Lisa Rinna and Amy Schumer have voiced their support for the WNBA legend, who faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on drug trafficking charges, and demanded Griner’s freedom. “It is imperative that the U.S. Government immediately address this human rights issue and do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home,” James said while sharing a Change.org petition to “Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U​.​S.”

Other such as comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan have also voiced their support for Griner, calling her potential jail sentence for vape cartages “crazy.”

“Fuck, that’s horrible,” Rogan said during an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience with guest Paul Virzi. “It’s over nothing. It’s like she’s the clearest form of political prisoner. “

Arguably the greatest female basketball player of all time, Griner was detained in Moscow less than a week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for allegedly carrying cannabis/hashish oil in vape cartridges. Following her initial arrest, Griner’s pre-trial detainment was extended multiple times, leading the U.S. state department to classify the basketball player as “wrongfully detained.”

During the second hearing of her trial last week, Griner pleaded guilty to a drugs charge in a Russian court but denied she had intentionally broken the law.

Despite the growing support for Griner’s release, Rogan was unsure whether that was enough to secure her release.

“I’m not a very political person, in that sense,” Rogan said. “I would like them to work this out, but I think it’s just a part of a bigger problem.”

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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