“Multiple Human Rights Abuses And Very Bad Conditions”: Expert Unveils Horrid Conditions of Russian Penal Colonies That Will House Brittney Griner

Experts have revealed horrifying details of Russian penal colonies that are expected to hold Brittney Griner while serving her sentencing. Earlier this month, the Russian courts sentenced the WNBA star to 9.5 years in prison. However, recent reports on the living conditions in Russian prisons have further aggravated concerns for Brittney Griner.

Earlier this year, Russian authorities detained Griner for carrying vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil in them. Meanwhile, Russia’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine further complicated the Phoenix Mercury star’s situation and made her a geopolitical pawn in the grand scheme of things.

After her sentencing, Washington had displayed interest in a possible prisoner exchange deal with Moscow. However, as U.S. diplomats prepare to broker negotiations with the Kremlin, details of Russian holding facilities have raised concerns among Griner’s supporters.

In other words, the colonies can present a bleak atmosphere for the inmates. Derelict infrastructure and rampant human rights abuses can make it a very depressing place to be. According to Dr. Monika Kareniauskaite, a research fellow teaching post-Soviet history, law, gender, and criminality at Yale University, “There are multiple human rights abuses and very bad conditions for prisoners.”

“There were a lot of attempts in the 1990s to introduce Russian lawyers, criminal justice system workers, and police with Western legal concepts and traditions,” she added. “But as the nongovernmental organizations report[ed] later, most of the reforms actually failed and didn’t make a significant change.”

The Brittney Griner situation

Washington has floated the possibility of releasing Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap deal.

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However, the Kremlin has recently requested confidentiality in negotiations involving Griner’s release. Therefore, details of such a deal have not been revealed to the public.