Last week, it was reported that WNBA star Brittney Griner’s legal team didn’t know her whereabouts after she was transferred to a Russian penal colony to serve her 9-year sentence.
Her legal team confirmed that Griner was sent to a penal colony in Mordovia, about 300 miles southeast of Moscow. Her attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boikov, released a statement, “We can confirm that Brittney began serving her sentence at IK-2 in Mordovia. We visited her early this week.” They added, “Brittney is doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson also commented on Griner, “We are aware of reports of her location, and in frequent contact with Ms. Griner’s legal team. However, the Russian Federation has still failed to provide any official notification for such a move of a U.S. citizen, which we strongly protest.”