Brittney Griner would not have expected to face the horrors of a Russian penal colony when she first arrived at the Moscow Airport in February. The WNBA star has been detained in Russia for over nine months now. Meanwhile, the US authorities work tirelessly to secure her safe release. Amid reports of inhumane conditions and forced labor in the Mordovian penal colonies, a former prisoner’s revelation from 2013 has painted a dreadful picture for Griner.

Brittney Griner is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence in the IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia. The far-off region in Russia is infamously known as the ‘land of prisoners.’ Mordovia has over a dozen penal colonies. These facilities are believed to be the successors of the Soviet Union’s Gulag system, per several human rights activists.

BG is expected to face horrendous conditions in the prison colony, where forced labor for up to 16-17 hours a day is a common practice. However, a spine-chilling revelation from former prisoner Irina Noskova in 2013 provided insight into how the prison authorities treat the inmates inside the colonies.

Brittney Griner may face torture in penal colony

Back in 2013, Irina Noskova shared her experience of surviving inside a penal colony to Russia’s ‘The New Times’. Noskova stated, “I worked as a seamstress and there is a law: if you don’t meet the production rate, they hit you.”

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Irina Noskova shared her experience of working as a seamstress in the penal colony sweatshops. She was asked to sew uniforms for the Russian military and police. The ex-inmate revealed a law related to forced labor practices in the penal colonies. She revealed that failing to meet the quotas resulted in beatings.

Several reports claimed that the prison authorities use various forms of torture. The torture practices include solitary confinement, beat down by fellow prisoners, and forced starvation. Thus, Griner might possibly face these harsh conditions in the IK-2 facility and could also be subjected to torture.

What other challenges Griner might be face?

As per reports, there have been instances of racism and homophobia in the penal colonies. Brittney Griner could be subjected to such discriminatory practices as well for being an African-American woman who has openly come out as gay.

Moreover, a humanitarian group called Russia ‘Behind Bars’ alleged that labor conditions in the IK-2 are extreme, the medical facilities are very poor, and the food served to the inmates is often stale. The poor quality of food often leads to malnutrition and diseases in inmates. Furthermore, the prison sweatshops are believed to be squalid and rat-infested. To add insult to injury, the weather conditions are extremely cold making life hellish in penal colonies.

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Thus, Griner is possibly facing these horrible scenarios inside the IK-2 penal colony. Meanwhile, her supporters pray for her return soon as the State Department negotiates a prisoner swap deal with the Kremlin.