?I Was Covered in Blood But I Still Had To Sew?: Brittney Griner Possibly Working With Damaged Equipment in Russian Prison

As WNBA star, Brittney Griner, begins her sentence in Russia, she is expected to experience some of the most inhumane conditions in the IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia. A former prisoner claimed that Griner could face slave-like conditions in the labor camps. Notably, she suggested that BG would possibly have to work with damaged equipment inside a Russian prison.

The founding member of the Russian feminist protest and music group Pussy Riot, Nadya Tolokonnikova, recently opened up about the horrors Brittney Griner might face in the IK-2 facility in an interview. Tolokonnikova was incarcerated in the IK-14 penal colony for protesting against Vladimir Putin outside Moscow’s main cathedral. She spent nearly two years in a Mordovia penal colony.

Further, the Russian musician stated that inmates face the worst conditions in labor camps where they are forced to work for 17 long hours without any vacation. Moreover, failing to meet the quota results in humiliation and torture from the prison guards. Tolokonnikova also revealed the working conditions inside the labor camps.

Tolokonnikova suggests Brittney Griner to avoid sweatshops

Nadya Tolokonnikova advised Brittney Griner to avoid working in sweatshops. She reckoned that an inmate might feel if they follow the rules, they would have a better time inside the penal colony. However, the women’s rights activists stated that the conditions in the sweatshops were far worse than being in solitary confinement.

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As per Tolokonnikova,?“Machines are so old that at some point a needle penetrated my finger and I was covered in blood, but I still had to sew.”

The Pussy Riot member stated that the machines inside the sweatshops were very old. She injured herself while sewing uniforms for the Russian military and police. However, despite the blood, she was forced to keep working.?Thus, Nadya Tolokonnikova urged Brittney Griner to avoid working in aggressive and slave-like labor camps. She advised BG to opt for solitary confinement if she could.?

Griner could draw inspiration from Tolokonnikova’s story

During the interview, Tolokonnikova stated that Brittney Griner should try not to give up and realize that the lawyers and the media are her protection. Nadya Tolokonnikova spent nearly two years in a penal colony in Mordovia. She was threatened in order to keep quiet about the abuses inside the prison colony. As a result, she kept silent for a year in fear of the consequences.

However, the Pussy Riot founding member continued to protest with hunger strikes. She also learned about prisoner rights inside the colony. The 34-year-old lodged a complaint against the prison officials, which eventually led to the convictions of several Mordovian chief authorities. Moreover, the media attention that Tolokonnikova’s cause brought helped her attain freedom.

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Brittney Griner could find inspiration from Tolokonnikova’s story and continue to keep fighting for her freedom.