Brittney Griner is facing being moved to a prison with "slave-like" conditions after her request to avoid a nine-year jail sentence for drug possession, as the US Government continues to battle for her release.
Griner was arrested back in February for allegedly smuggling cannabis oil, and has attempted on numerous occasions to have her nine-year sentence reduced. However, those attempts have not succeeded, and she now faces being moved into a penal colony. Her legal team said earlier this week they did not know where she'd been moved to.
However, the options are harrowing, and include a female penal colony described as having "slave-like" conditions. Another was described by the United States Department of State as being rife with "systemic" sexual abuse by guards.
Vladimir Putin's rival for the Russian presidency, Alexei Navalny, is currently imprisoned for nine years after being accused of embezzlement, contempt of court and breaching parole. Amnesty International described the sentence as a sham.
Navalny alleged he has been tortured with solitary confinement and sleep deprivation in the colony - which Griner could be moved to. The Russian politician went on hunger strike after he was allegedly not allowed to see a doctor while suffering from pain and loss of mobility in his legs.
Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and champion in 2014 with the Phoenix Mercury, was travelling to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, as she has done every off-season since 2014, when she was arrested. She has appealed her sentence in an attempt to serve reduced jail time, but that request was denied, leaving her forced to serve her nine-year sentence.
According to Amnesty International, transfer of inmates can take anywhere from days to more than a month, and Griner was moved on November 4. Her legal team do not know where she is at the moment, according to the Daily Mail.
President Joe Biden said earlier this week that his government was working to secure Griner's release in a prisoner swap. He said: "We're in constant contact with Russian authorities to get Brittney and others out. So far we've not been meeting with much positive response but we're not stopping."
A statement from the United States Department of State read: "As we work to secure Brittney Griner’s release, we expect Russian authorities to provide our Embassy officials with regular access to all US citizens detained in Russia, including Brittney, as is their obligation.
"Ensuring the health and welfare of US citizen detainees in Russia is a priority, and we will continue to press for fair and transparent treatment for them all."
The WNBA Player's Association released a statement on Wednesday evening saying they were "crushed" to learn Griner's "nightmare" is ongoing.
The statement read: "We stand with Brittney Griner and will continue to call on all Americans and the global sports community to do the same with even more vigilance. "We are crushed that this scary, seemingly never-ending nightmare continues. The lack of clarity and transparency in the process compounds the pain."
