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WNBA player Brittney Griner recently pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling charges in Russia.
The 6-foot, 9-inch U.S. Olympian was stopped at a Russian airport for allegedly having cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage, which is illegal in the country and carries a penalty of 10 years in prison.
She was playing in the off-season for a Russian team. “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor,” Griner said. “But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law. I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare.”
Life in a Russian prison can be very difficult, according to the brother of an American imprisoned in Russia.
U.S. Marine Paul Whelan was arrested in Russia and accused of being a spy, which he denies. His brother, David Whelan, has spoken out about the condition of the prisons.
USA Today reported that Griner’s cell likely has “ancient” plumbing. Many cells have no toilet, but only a hole in the ground.
“When they talk about buildings being Stalin-era, they’re not kidding,” David Whelan said.
“Prisoners have to maintain the cleanliness of their cell, and so it was at first quite filthy, since the previous occupant had not seemed concerned about cleanliness,” Whelan said. “You are allowed a weekly shower and a daily walk.”
More on this story via IJR and Western Journal:
Prisoners such as Griner who have not yet been sentenced usually are allowed one hour of sunlight a day, Whelan said. The other 23 hours are spent in the cell.
As for food, “there’s no interest in nutrition,” Whelan said. He said many prisoners have their food supplemented by food brought in from family members or friends.
He said Russian prisons are run by either gangs or guards, and violence within them is common.
Whelan said his brother’s prison combines prison and labor, a fate that could await Griner.
Elizabeth Rood, the U.S. embassy’s deputy chief of mission in Moscow, met with the WNBA star on Thursday and gave her a letter from President Joe Biden.
“I’m terrified I might be in here forever,” Griner wrote in a recent letter delivered.
Rood said Griner was “eating well, she’s able to read books and under the circumstances, she’s doing well.”