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WNBA star Brittney Griner opened up about her detention in Russia for the first time in an interview with ABC on Wednesday night.
Griner, who was playing for the Russian basketball club UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, was detained in Moscow in February 2022 after vape cartridges containing cannabis-derived oil were found in her possession.
Following a trial in Russia, she was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.
The Phoenix Mercury center shared that she experienced suicidal thoughts during her ten-month imprisonment in Russia.
“I wanted to take my life more than once in the first weeks,” Griner told interviewer Robin Roberts. “I felt like leaving here so badly.”
Griner decided not to go through with it out of fear that her body would not be returned to her family.
She also described the dire living conditions in her prison cell, including a stained mattress, lack of basic necessities like soap and toilet paper, which made her feel dehumanized.
Griner revealed that she underwent a psychiatric evaluation and feared being institutionalized due to Russia’s view on homosexuality as a mental illness.
Her release was part of a deal between the US and Russia, exchanging her for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Prior to her release, Griner was required to write a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing gratitude and seeking forgiveness.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
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