“Abused by guards and inmates…food shortage” Brittney Griner could be facing the toughest nine years in Russian hell after sentence gets upheld
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Brittney Griner at a cell in Russia
American basketball player Brittney Griner‘s appeal against her nine-year prison term for drug possession and trafficking was denied by a Russian court on Tuesday. When Griner is moved to a penal colony to serve out her sentence, she will be forced to endure a system of isolation, harsh labor, and psychological agony as stated by human rights reports.
President Joe Biden of the United States said he would not give up on trying to return Griner and former marine Paul Whelan home. His administration had in late July suggested a plan for a prisoner swap with Russia to ensure their release. Griner is now known to millions of people throughout the world, including basketball fans and others. The government is boosting up efforts to bring the WNBA star back as fast as possible because she is going to face the most horrendous prison conditions in Russia.
Many of the camps routinely commit human rights breaches, according to human rights organizations and others who have regular contact with Russian prisoners. As mentioned by the reports, the prison constitutes: “Overcrowding, abuse by guards and inmates, limited access to health care, food shortages, and inadequate sanitation were common in prisons, penal colonies, and other detention facilities.” The report also stated that torture of inmates was widespread and that physical and sexual abuse by prison staff was normalized.
What happened to Brittney Griner and what can be done further?
Brittney Griner was detained by Russian officials after being pulled up in February at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Russian Customs discovered that the two-time WNBA defensive player of the year and seven-time all-star was in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in August after being found guilty of narcotics offences in Russia.
Griner’s legal team filed an appeal against her nine-year sentence in August. They assert that Griner’s current sentence is nonetheless “excessive” despite the fact that it is likely that she might have earned up to 10 years in jail. According to the defence lawyers, other committed criminals in comparable cases across Russia received a lesser sentence, and some of them even received parole.
Russian officials revealed on August 11 that they and the American government had been in discussions regarding a potential prisoner swap. The Biden administration is suspecting that she is being held in violation of the law as tensions between the countries is still there due to the Ukraine war. The 31-year-old Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury has won two Olympic gold medals. She has also participated in WNBA offseason games since 2014 that have been held in Russia by UMMC Ekaterinburg.
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Griner’s prison facility before the appeal
Brittney Griner served her whole sentence prior to the appeal in a Russian prison colony that has been described as a “nightmare” which is located one hour outside of Moscow. A small cell was shared by Griner and two other English-speaking prisoners who were also held on drug-related offences. The convicts were reportedly only allowed two showers per week and were supposed to spend 23 hours each day in their cell, with one daily break allowed for walking around a small courtyard.
A few days before Russia moved soldiers into Ukraine, there were increased tensions between Moscow and Washington at the time of Brittney Griner’s arrest in February and during the WNBA offseason, Griner was going back to play for a Russian team at the moment. The Griner case’s legal proceedings, according to the White House, were a “sham,” and the penalty was “excessive and disproportionate.” Little has changed regarding the WNBA star’s release as of yet, but we expect learning more about her planned release from custody and return to the United States soon.
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Irvin Philip
(701 Articles Published)