Viktor Bout, the entrepreneur who returned to Russia after serving time in an American prison, weighed in on the Brittney Griner case, arguing that Griner would have faced a lighter outcome in Russia had Bout not been a U.S. citizen. He shared these views during an interview with socialbites.ca, as reported in the discussion.
The events trace back to March 2022 when Griner was detained while going through customs with cannabis oil. She faced charges of drug trafficking and possession. On August 4, a court ruled Griner guilty and sentenced her to nine years in prison. Subsequently, in December, Griner was exchanged and Bout was brought back to the United States as part of the swap. These developments highlight the complexities of cross-border legal cases and prisoner exchanges between the United States and Russia.
Bout criticized the legal landscape by noting that although cannabis oil is permitted in the United States, it remains illegal in Russia. He admitted his own error in the matter and suggested that the sentence might have differed if the individual involved were an athlete from a friendly nation. He added a comparison: there are currently approximately 56 or 57 Russians in American prisons, many of whom he implied are involved in cases tied to extraterritorial jurisdictions and alleged fictitious charges, casting the Griner case in a broader geopolitical light. Griner is believed to have committed the offense, according to Bout, and he acknowledged that this point remains disputed by some observers. He then invited readers to consider his personal situation in parallel to the case.
The interview with Viktor Bout is described as a full version that socialbites.ca planned to publish on April 7 at 9 am, promising deeper context and elaboration on these statements.