Recent reports have revealed the terrifying living conditions that WNBA star Brittney Griner is set to face while serving her sentencing in Russia. According to reports, Russian prison facilities resemble the Soviet-era Gulags of a bygone age, both in appearance and in their treatment of inmates. As it turns out, during her stay in a penal facility, Brittney Griner could face inhumane working hours, derelict infrastructure and unmitigated exposure to diseases.

Earlier this year, Russian authorities arrested Griner for carrying illicit drugs in her belongings. After the Phoenix Mercury star pleaded guilty, the Russian courts sentenced her to nine years in prison for possession of vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil.

As per the latest reports, Griner’s legal team has appealed the verdict. However, such actions are unlikely to induce any leniency from Russian authorities.

Brittney Griner expected to face terrible living conditions in Russian prison

The Russian penal colonies expected to hold Griner are infamous for their terrible living conditions. In fact, they rarely abide by European standards to house inmates. As it turns out, these facilities act as the breeding ground for diseases, including COVID-19, AIDS and tuberculosis.

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According to recent reports, “Direct descendants of the Soviet Union’s infamous Gulag system, Russian penal colonies are prison labor camps known as disease incubators where human rights abuses run rampant.”

As it turns out, inmates in these penal facilities have to work for about 17 hours a day. In other words, they are allotted about four hours per day for sleeping and about half an hour to two hours every day for recreational activities.

Furthermore, inmates reside in crammed spaces with little to no medical care. Prisoners often succumb to overwork and an array of diseases that run rampant in the facilities. The custom to torture inmates is not entirely extinct.

Additionally, the lack of basic amenities further aggravates suffering. And the crumbling infrastructures barely provide a decent shelter.

Griner’s future in Russia

U.S. authorities are working on a deal to release Brittney Griner. Washington has indicated the possibility of a potential prisoner swap with Moscow.

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Media reports have implicated the name of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as a possible beneficiary. However, the Kremlin hasn’t confirmed anything yet. As it turns out, Griner will have to survive prison in Russia till the authorities agree on a deal.