Newly released photos reveal the harsh conditions Brittney Griner endured during her 10 months in a women’s prison in Russia.
Photos released by Russia’s TASS news agency show the WNBA basketball star forced to sleep on a tiny 6-by-9-foot bed and the bland-looking food she eats at the No. 2 women’s penal colony in Mordovia, Russia.
President Biden announced that Griner was released from prison on Thursday as part of a swap with notorious international arms dealer Victor Booth.
He was arrested in February after Moscow airport authorities found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, banned in Russia, in his luggage.
In most of the images, Griner is seen in a green prisoner outfit, but the most striking feature of his appearance is his short cropped hair.
It’s unclear if the WNBA star cut off her dreads voluntarily or if it was ordered by prison guards, but other inmates can be seen in the background with their long hair tied up in buns.
The lack of locks does not make a short player unrecognizable. Griner can be seen standing over the cafeteria workers as they collect the food.
Griner can be seen in another photo meticulously making a double bed in a shared dormitory. It has to be bent almost in half to pull out the sheets and blankets.
A photo ID can be seen hanging over the edge of the young man’s bed.
Griner will soon return to his 3,000-square-foot property in Arizona, where he’ll have plenty of time and space to stretch out.
Another picture shows Griner working at a prison, but it is unclear what his duties were at the prison.
The photo appears to be the only one in which Griner is not wearing green. He is seen wearing a blue business suit and a white bandana.
After signing various documents, Griner began the long journey home after taking a bus to the airfield, where he was traded to Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death.”
According to Biden, Griner is going back to the United States, where he will meet with his wife and top lawyer, Charel Griner.
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