Controversial WNBA star Brittney Griner has been a part of a great number of debates ever since her arrest. People around the world have given their opinions on her situation with many commenting on the political nature of her arrest.

Many believe Griner’s openness about her sexuality and her nationality is a major factor behind her tough sentence. The court sentenced her to nine years in prison after officials found traces of illegal drugs in her luggage.

As she starts her sentence in one of the harshest prisons in the world, a well-known professor and researcher recently chimed in on Griner. According to him, her sexuality is a major reason why the judiciary gave her such a harsh sentence. 

Professor slams discriminatory Russian authorities for Brittney Griner’s treatment

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner will be spending nine years in one of the harshest prisons in the world. She has been transferred to the IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia. Located around 210 miles southeast of Moscow, the prison is infamous for its treacherous conditions.

Inhumane working hours, abuse by guards, and harassment are common in the facility. Talking about her case, an eminent researcher and professor, Michael Eric Dyson, recently slammed the authorities.

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During a conversation in the Drink Champs podcast, the ordained minister said, “This Black woman, had she been anybody else — even a straight Black woman would’ve received more support than a queer Black woman with a Black wife.” Moreover, he also slammed the Russian authorities as he feels Griner has been given such a harsh sentence because of her queer status.

Griner is set to face the toughest conditions of her life

Brittney Griner will spend nine years of her life in one of the harshest prisons in the world. Unless the officials negotiate a prisoner swap deal, serving the sentence remains Griner’s only option.

Prisons in Mordovia are notorious for being terrible even by Russian standards. Moreover, according to a sociologist, the penal colony “is a place any prisoner wants to avoid.“

The IK-2 belongs to a sprawling network of penal colonies located in Mordovia. Paul Whelan, a former Marine is also serving his sentence in the same region. Whelan has been in the news for the past few months as he has been mentioned in the swap deal that can bring the eight-time WNBA All-Star back. However, negotiations have been incredibly slow and tough.

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