- Brittney Griner is facing extremely harsh conditions in Russian prison, a new report reveals.
- From infrequent showers to regular headaches, Griner is struggling as her detainment drags on.
Brittney Griner is struggling in Russian prison.
The eight-time WNBA All-Star is facing particularly harsh — and bordering on inhumane — conditions at the Russian penal colony where she's been wrongfully detained for eight months on drug smuggling charges, a new report reveals.
A recent The New York Times story, which includes comments from one of Griner's Russian attorneys, details just how much adversity the 31-year-old basketball superstar has shouldered since she was first arrested at a Moscow airport back in February.
Griner shares a small cell with two other individuals — both of whom speak English and were also charged with drug-related violations. At first, she was expected to sleep in a bed that was far too small for her 6-foot-9 frame. But in April, visiting journalist Ekaterina Kalugina told a Russian prison oversight commission that the American needed a larger bed.
Still, there are other discomforts Griner faces on a daily basis. She and other incarcerated women are only permitted to shower twice per week, Kalugina told the Times. And during the Russian reporter's aforementioned visit to her cell, Griner revealed that she was experiencing frequent pain, particularly headaches.
Lawyer Alexandr Boykov described the penal colony where Griner is currently housed as dilapidated, and said the temperature inside fluctuates dramatically depending on the weather. The Phoenix Mercury great is only allowed outdoors for one hour each day, during which she walks laps around a "small courtyard," he said.
All of this has begun to take a significant toll on basketball star's emotional well-being. During a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Griner's wife, Cherelle, detailed a "disturbing phone call" they shared, expressing concern that Griner may not have the mental fortitude to forge on.
Boykov has also noticed a change in his client.
"She has not been in as good condition as I could sometimes find her in," he told the Times.
Griner and her legal team appealed the nine-year sentence she was handed in early August. Her next hearing is scheduled for October 25, and should the courts uphold their initial decision, Griner will likely spend time in a larger one of Russia's infamous penal colonies.