Joe Biden Virtue Signals on Behalf of Brittney Griner by Signing Executive Order ‘Expanding Tools’ to Prevent ‘Wrongful Detentions and Hostage Taking’

With mounting pressure coming to the White House to bring home WNBA star Brittney Griner, Joe Biden signed an executive order this morning aimed at deterring other nations from taking U.S. Hostages or those wrongfully detained.

Griner’s detention in Russia has been classified as “wrongfully detained”. Griner was taken into custody, in February, at a Moscow airport when cannabis products were found in her luggage. Earlier this month she pled guilty to the charges against her while adding she didn’t intend to break the law.

This move as we reported earlier has been speculated by some, potentially eliminating her from claiming she is a hostage but still leaves her in the wrongfully detained category.

The executive order is titled “Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home”.

The introduction of the executive order reads:

“Terrorist organizations, criminal groups, and other malicious actors who take hostages for financial, political, or other gain — as well as foreign states that engage in the practice of wrongful detention, including for political leverage or to seek concessions from the United States — threaten the integrity of the international political system and the safety of United States nationals and other persons abroad.  I therefore determine that hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals abroad constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with this threat.”

Biden’s executive order uses strong language and declares a national emergency. The order moves to place sanctions and ban visas of those involved in taking hostages or wrongfully detaining individuals.

Griner as well as her wife have petitioned the White House to secure her release. There are many others putting pressure on the White House to have her brought home including LeBron James, who had disparaging comments about the fact Griner is still detained in Russia.

Siamak Namazi is an Iranian-American businessman who is wrongfully detained in Iran, he has been held since 2015. He too has petitioned the Biden White House in an effort to secure his release was sentenced to a 10-year for collaborating with a foreign government, and is currently the “longest-held Iranian-American imprisoned in Iran”.

It seems the amount of coverage Griner’s destination has made The White House take more action than before.

We will see if this executive order brings more Americans home. Some may speculate that it is just The White House’s way of appearing to do something about a problem that is currently highlighted in the mainstream media because of Griner’s detention.