Brittney Griner is being moved to a Russian penal colony. What is that, and what are they like?

The U.S. government has condemned Russia's decision to transfer WNBA star Brittney Griner to a Russian penal colony after a court's recent refusal to overturn her nine-year prison sentence for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil. 

Griner's family and lawyers, and human rights groups, are worried about what she could face in the Russian penitentiary system, which is infamous for its harsh conditions and abuse of inmates. Griner's supporters fear for her safety as a Black, openly lesbian woman in a country where both racial minorities and the LGBTQ+ community have long faced systemic persecution.

Former member of the Russian protest band Pussy Riot Maria Alyokhina spent almost two years in a Russian penal colony.