“Britney began serving her sentence at IK2+ in Mordovia,” lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in a statement.
The letters “IK” stand for “penal settlement”, and this type of prison is the most common in Russia.
“We visited her earlier this week. Britney is doing well…and trying to stay strong as she adjusts to a new environment,” the lawyers added.
Case details
- The American player was sentenced to nine years in prison in August for possession of electronic cigarette packets with a small amount of cannabis oil at a Moscow airport in February.
- The 32-year-old’s case came amid high tensions between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine.
- Greiner pleaded guilty to the charges, but said she did not intend to break the law or use the substance banned in Russia.
- Graner testified that she had permission from an American doctor to use medicinal cannabis oil to relieve pain from her many injuries, and none of her drug tests came back positive.
- Medical marijuana is not allowed in Russia.
What is a penal colony?
- The IK2 penal settlement is located in the town of Javas, in the region of Central Mordovia, known for its harsh climate.
- According to the Russian Federal Prison Service, the settlement houses more than 800 female prisoners, who live in barracks.
- Mordovia also includes the settlement of IK-17, where Paul Whelan, a retired US Marine, is serving his sentence after being convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. His family says he was abused and deprived of sleep there.
- Russian penal settlements are notorious for harsh treatment of prisoners, unsanitary conditions, and lack of adequate care.
Activists say abuse and torture are widespread in Russia’s vast prison network, which replaced the Gulag system under Stalin.
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