“Brittney began serving her sentence at IK-2 in Mordovia,” lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in a statement. “We visited her early this week. Brittney is doing as expected and trying to stay strong as she adjusts to a new environment.” The American athlete was sentenced to nine years in prison in August for possession of vapor cartridges containing a small amount of cannabis oil after she was arrested at a Moscow airport in February. The 32-year-old’s case came amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine. Griner’s agent, Lindsay Colas, said: “Despite the fact that she is alone and now approaching the ninth month of her detention separated from her loved ones, she is trying to stay strong.” Colas also thanked the Joe Biden administration for pledging last week to secure Griner’s return. “I’m telling you I’m determined to get her home and get her home safely,” the US president said. The IK-2 penal colony is located in the city of Yavas in the central region of Mordovia, known for its harsh climate. IK stands for a “correctional colony”, the most common type of prison in Russia. According to Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, IK-2 houses more than 800 prisoners who live in barracks. Mordovia is also home to the IK-17 colony where Paul Whelan, a retired US Marine, is serving time after being convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. His family says he suffered abuse and sleep deprivation there. Russian penal colonies are known for their harsh treatment of prisoners, unsanitary conditions and lack of access to proper healthcare. Conditions in penal colonies are much harsher than in detention centers. Activists say abuse and torture are common in Russia’s vast prison network, a successor to the notorious Stalin-era Gulag system. When Griner was arrested, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and women’s NBA champion was in Russia to play for the Yekaterinburg professional team during her offseason from the Phoenix Mercury. She pleaded guilty to the charges but said she did not intend to break the law or use the banned substance in Russia. Griner had testified that she was cleared by a US doctor to use medicinal cannabis to relieve pain from her multiple injuries and that she had never failed a drug test. The use of medical marijuana is not allowed in Russia.
