The 9-year prison sentence handed to Brittney Griner was upheld a few weeks ago. Griner’s lawyer has given insight into her daily routine behind bars.
While initially, the place where she’ll do her time was uncertain, it was made public now. Pictures below in the article.
Griner spends her days in a 4×6 meter cell, where she is allowed one hour of recreation per day. The rest of the time, she is either working or attending programs.
Her lawyer says that Griner is coping with her situation as best she can, but the reality is that prison is a tough place to be.
The basketball player must complete her sentence because the court rejected the appeal. This is a cruel outcome and will undoubtedly affect her for the rest of her life. Since February, she had been in Russian custody.
In her closing statement, Griner pleaded with the court, “I had no intention of hurting anyone. I never intended to endanger the Russian people. I didn’t intend to violate any laws here. I hope your decision won’t result at the end of my life in this place because I made an honest error.”
The Texas defense team for the NBA player has harshly criticized the decision. Additionally, they stated that they would file an additional appeal.
The court gave Griner a 1 million ruble ($16,300) fine. Although they are not the only ones, the US government is attempting to bring Griner back home. Kyrie Irving, a professional basketball player, has also urged Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden to provide additional details.
Irving and former NFL player Robert Griffin have also spoken out in favor of Griner on this subject. Many people are worried about the WNBA player’s welfare and want to know what’s going on, as seen by the outpouring of support for her.
Bieber is not the only one who hopes she makes a comeback. According to a previous story, the USA reportedly made a “quite attractive deal” to bring Brittney back. Even Justin Bieber has expressed his feelings on the subject. ” If anyone knows of a way I can help, please let me know,” the man wrote.
Cherelle had been struggling to come to terms with the loss of Griner. She misses her terribly and has been overcome by grief and disbelief. Despite this, she stays optimistic and wants to make the most of her remaining time.
The prison she would likely spend her time in was then identified as IK-14, a Russian prison with a bad reputation nationwide. It has been called a “gulag work camp.”
The prison is located in the Mordovia region of central Russia and is every bit as horrible as it sounds. The snow-covered, gloomy structure is much worse than the typical prison you may find in the United States.
According to reports, the structure is surrounded by barbed wire, has a rat infestation, and is home to some diseases that put the prisoners at risk.
Political activist and former prisoner Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has written about the conditions there, particularly the long work hours (17 hours per day) and the little time off (1 day every two months).
Another former prisoner, Gelena Alekseyeva, has also testified about the colony and confirmed the challenging conditions endured by those detained there.
She admitted living with mice and rats to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. “There were designated poles for this, but you had to knock before entering the restroom to encourage the rats to disperse.”
According to CNN, Griner stated her attorney Maria Blagovolina thanked everyone for their efforts in bringing her home. “All the love and support are undoubtedly assisting me.”
However, according to TMZ, the court rejected Griner’s appeal. The WNBA star participated in the hearing via videoconference on October 25 while seated in a prison cell. Griner and her legal team anticipated the court would reverse an earlier decision made in the case. If not, at least shorten the term to prison.
Her lawyers vehemently contended that her offense did not warrant the prison term she received. However, they admitted that they did not “expect any miracles to happen” and did not expect to win the court hearing.
Alexander Boykov, Griner’s attorney, has since shared information regarding her everyday activities while detained. According to her, the lights are turned out, and the television is turned off at around 10 p.m.
They primarily engage in television viewing, meal preparation, and reading. It’s the same every day. No basketball court, gym, or runway is there, according to Boykov. Griner sounds like she’s having a miserable stay due to a lack of autonomy and being prevented from doing her favorite things.
