The release of Brittney Griner has caused a lot of debates around the country. While Griner’s fans and a lot of popular figures celebrated her release, many were not pleased with the release of convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout and also with leaving behind Paul Whelan in his Mordovian penal colony. Whelan has been in captivity since December 2018 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court in 2020. Recently, an ex-service member called out the people who contested the Biden administration’s decision to bring back Brittney Griner ahead of Paul Whelan.

During a recent episode of the podcast ‘Real Talk Pill Talk,’?a former service member Bierre Poisrond was in attendance. During the discussion, Poisrond talked about Whelan being left behind while Griner was brought back to the country.

Ex-service member on the release of Brittney Griner ahead of Paul Whelan

During the podcast, Bierre Poisrond stated that he does not want any American serving time in a foreign prison. He then pointed out that Paul Whelan was “kicked out of” the military for larceny. Poisrond further explained that as an ex-service member he would want a civilian like Brittney Griner to be freed first, even if that entails that he or any service member like him would have to be in prison for an extended period of time.

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Poisrond said, “He got kicked out of the military for larceny. We are talking about, ‘Oh bring him back but not bring Brittney Griner back.’ ‘Oh, she just plays basketball.’ It doesn’t matter. She’s a civilian. I’m a service member and I go and I get captured and then y’all are civilians, I am as a service member I’m gonna say, ‘Take them home first.’ Because I signed for this.”

The ex-serviceman stressed the fact that military personnel sign up for occasions like this. So bringing back a civilian ahead of a former Marine shouldn’t be such a huge issue.

Whelan joined the Marine Reserves in 1994 and became a staff sergeant in 2004. He was then deployed in the war against Iraq for several months in 2004 and 2006. As per reports, Whelan was convicted on several charges related to larceny in 2008. Also, he was given a bad-conduct discharge at the rank of private.

Griner wants to help “wrongfully detained” Americans

After Brittney Griner returned to the country, she was taken to an army hospital where she was evaluated. She is reportedly physically good. Her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas revealed that she played basketball after ten months in Russia.

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Her agent further added that Griner would decide whether she would play in the upcoming season or not. He then stated that Griner wants to help all “wrongfully detained” Americans in Russia, including Paul Whelan, using the platform she has amassed in the last few months.