Brittney Griner, the imprisoned American basketball star who was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court, has been transferred to a penal camp.
Griner, 32, was taken from the jail near Moscow where she had been held since her arrest on Friday, according to her lawyers. There is no information about Griner’s exact whereabouts.
Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport for allegedly possessing a small amount of marijuana.
She was given a harsh nine-year prison sentence by a Russian court in August. An appeal was rejected by a Moscow regional court in October.
The White House confirmed on Wednesday that the United States had made a “significant” offer to Russia for the release of Griner and former soldier Paul Whelan, who is also being held in Russia.
However, there was apparently no serious interest on the part of the Russian regime to negotiate over Griner’s detention.