Life inside the Russian penal colony where Brittney Griner is serving nine years | USA TODAY

Brittney Griner, a U.S. basketball star, is serving her sentence at the IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia, about 350 miles southeast of Moscow.

In August, the two-time Olympian and perennial WNBA All-Star was sentenced to nine years after pleading guilty to carrying hash oil in her luggage as she returned to Moscow to play with her Russian professional team. Griner, like many WNBA players, supplements her income by playing pro overseas during the WNBA’s offseason. She has played in Russia for nine years.

Griner lost her appeal and began transfer to the penal colony. During her transport, Griner’s legal team in Russia, as well as her U.S.-based agency, said they were not informed of her whereabouts. The Biden Administration — which has classified Griner as wrongfully detained and is trying to negotiate for her release — also was unaware of where Griner was.

In a statement, Griner’s agent Lindsay Colas said of Griner, "despite the fact she is alone and now nearing her ninth month in detention separated from her loved ones, she is trying to stay strong." Another wrongfully detained American, Paul Whelan, is also serving time in a penal colony in the Mordovia area. Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018, is serving a 16-year sentence after being found guilty of espionage, a charge he and his family have repeatedly denied.

» USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR.

#BrittneyGriner #Russia #WNBA

[lisagardner]

Griner went to Russia when the State Department had warnings NOT to go, yet she went and brought drugs with her. HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE? She is lucky this wasn't Malaysia or Singapore where they have the death penalty.

[bfranco]

Too bad the media forgot about PAUL WHELAN.

You know, the guy who is actually wrongfully detained!!

[chiroguy]

Hey Brittany. How is the USA looking these days?

[aziplawrence]

She should explain to the Russians that she is a "person of color", and that prison forced labor is "slavery". They'll apologize immediately and give her millions of dollars, then grovel to avoid being cancelled.

[reeceturner]

When famous people think there untouchable 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[JOHNBURNS]

Since she despised Uncle Sam so much, let's all hope she can learn to love mother Russia

[ianrasmussen]

Why would we care about her safety she is the one who broke the law in their country why is she more important than the rest of the prisoners she knew the laws and did it anyway

[peterpanish]

To those who object that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, consider the punishment for illegal drug possession in Singapore: death. Just because hashish-oil infused vape canisters are legal in California doesn’t make them legal in Russia. Griner had a responsibility to inquire about the legality of drugs she planned to bring with her to Russia. She didn’t. Now she must pay the price.

[tubeee]

She's gonna realize how lucky she was living life in the USA...USA that she hated.

[turbomk]

KEEP HIM LOCKED UP. HE DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR THE WORDS. IN THE ARMY OF THE NATIONAL GUARD WE CAN KEEP HIM LOCKED

[war]

At this rate, we’ll be getting notifications for the next 9 years.

[zwan]

cares about that criminal? Hopefully griner does every day of that 9 years.

[kiara]

I'm doing a video about this on my channel this week. I wish she had taken her time to pack & threw it away instead of rushing, ending up in this situation.

[Geoffzilla]

I've heard people say that if she comes home soon, people will hate her. But half the country already hates her: the other half loves her. So, who's going to hate her if she comes home, those who already hate her or those who already love her?

[iamtheresistance]

If Britney griner does the 9 years in jail she's not going to be in good shape

[monicalopez]

If they did that here, crime would be low.

[chip]

Well she made it clear many times she did not like the United States. Se is where she belongs and our tax dollars should not be wasted on her just because she is a professional ball player 🤷‍♂️

[mickeyh]

American prisons just as bad if not worse

[karlrichardson]

Prison isnt a nice place to go. No video games? No Air Force Ones from the commissary? Are they actually punishing people for their crimes in Russia?!!!! I am outraged. Please!!! Someone, in the comments, tell me what I can do help stop this abomination of a penal system. WE NEED TO DO

[Ballerzj]

Brit is tall and strong her athleticism can allow her to work 17 hours a day and beat up other inmates with ease 😂