Getty Images

Brittney Griner Has Been Taken To Penal Colony In Russian Region Of Mordovia 

Last week, we reported that Brittney Griner, whose 9-year sentence was uphold in a Russian appeal court, was transferred to a Russian penal colony. This meant that her family and lawyers didn’t know where she was or where she was heading. 

According to Griner’s lawyers, the transfer happened a day after U.S. embassy officials visited her and far ahead of the schedule they had anticipated, as a transfer usually takes months

Now, 10 days later, it was revealed that Griner has been taken to a penal colony in the Russian region of Mordovia. Per Reuters:

Russian authorities have given no information on her whereabouts for nearly two weeks, but the source said she had been taken to Female Penal Colony IK-2 in Yavas, about 500 km (300 miles) southeast of Moscow.

Inmates of Russian penal colonies are required to work long hours for meagre pay on tedious manual tasks such as sewing. Former prisoners and human rights groups describe conditions there as harsh and unhygienic, with little access to medical care.