Brittney Griner is going to a penal colony after a Russian court dismissed her appeal
A Russian court has dismissed Brittney Griner’s appeal, dashing any hopes the U.S. basketball star had of escaping the nine-year jail sentence early.
Griner will now be sent to a Russian penal colony as Washington labels the whole case a “sham”.
President Joe Biden said his administration will not let up efforts to bring Griner and her fellow American detainee, Paul Whelan, home.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price confirmed America will continue to push for the basketball player’s release.
“At the very least they should engage seriously and constructively and in good faith”.
The worsening relationship between Russia and the West has further complicated talks to secure her release.
In a final statement, Griner said how stressful her eight-month detention and two trials had been.
“I was barely over the significant amount [of cannabis oil] … [There are] people with more severe crimes have gotten less than what I was given.”
The verdict will be upheld “without changes”.
What are Russian penal colonies like?
Many consider Russian penal colonies as some of the worst prisons in the world.
This follows high-profile anti-government protestors, including Kremlin critic Alexi Navalny, giving firsthand accounts of their experiences.
Navalny says it’s like a “friendly concentration camp”, with prisoners constantly monitored. The jailed critic says guards often into his cell to harass him and film him sleeping.
Almost all of Russia’s prisons are set up to be traditional penal colonies. They are barrack and dorm-style detention complexes, with prisoners forced to perform hard labor tasks.
A recent 100-page human rights report conducted by the U.S. Department of State, found overcrowding, poor sanitation and heating, and food shortages were common.
The report also documents instances of systemic abuses, including torture and sexual violence, continue to be ignored.
