Representatives for Brittney Griner have confirmed they do not know her current location or condition after attorneys for the US basketball star said she was being transferred to a Russian penal colony on Wednesday.
“Our primary concern continues to be BG’s health and well-being,” Griner’s agent Lindsay Colas said in a statement. “As we work through this very difficult phase of not knowing exactly where BG is or how she is doing, we ask for the public’s support in continuing to write letters and express their love and care for her.”
Some background: Last month, Griner lost her appeal against a nine-year drug sentence following her detention in February and conviction in August for deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia. She has repeatedly apologized for bringing a small amount of cannabis into the country, where she played basketball in the off-season.
Russian penal colonies are known for their lack of hygiene and access to medical care, with inmates often subjected to manual labor.
