Brittney Griner moved to Mordovia penal colony, her attorneys confirm

Brittney Griner has been moved to a penal colony in the Russian region of Mordovia, the WNBA star’s legal team confirmed Thursday. 

Her attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said they visited Griner earlier this week at the IK-2 labor camp following a Russian court’s recent refusal to overturn her nine-year prison sentence for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil 

“Brittney is doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment,” they said in a statement. 

The attorneys added that “this is a very challenging period” for Griner. 

Griner was transferred out of a detention center on Nov. 4, her legal team said last week. At the time, they did not know where the two-time U.S. Olympic champion and eight-time WNBA all-star was being moved to. 

Griner’s agent, Lindsay Colas, said in a statement that her client is “trying to stay strong,” and thanked the Biden administration and Richardson Center, which have been working to secure her release. 

U.S. Embassy officials in Moscow met earlier this month with Griner before she was transferred to the penal colony. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” for the release of Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, who is serving 16 years in a Russian prison on espionage charges that his family has called a setup.