Brittney Griner Facing Homophobia and 16-Hour Work Days in Russian Prison
“If we fold our arms while Brittney Griner suffers it diminishes America” -Dave Zirin
On February 17, WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport after less than one gram of cannabis oil was found in her luggage. A new report revealed that the prison where Griner resides is severely inhumane.
According to CNN, Griner will remain at the IK-2 penal colony after losing her appeal. There, her experience consists of “tedious manual work, poor hygiene and lack of access to medical care.” Inmates in this facility are also expected to sew the uniforms for police and guards throughout 16-hour work days.
President Biden, along with Elizabeth Rood, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, acknowledges Griner’s arrest as a “miscarriage of justice,” as Rood said. However, even after an attempt to do a prisoner swap, there has been little success.
For those unfamiliar, the U.S. offered Russia to swap Griner with Viktor Bout, arrested on conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens. However, as of November 29, the U.S has yet to receive a “serious response” from Moscow.
Stay tuned for updates.
