Lawyers for basketball player Griner claim he visited her in a penal colony in western Russia

MADRID, 18 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Lawyers for American basketball player Brittney Griner have claimed to have visited the athlete in the Russian penal colony to which she has been transferred over the past week from Moscow, confirming that she is in the Mordovia region of western Russia. .

"We can confirm that Brittney has begun serving her sentence in (...) Mordovia. We visited her earlier this week," the player's legal team said in a statement, ending days of speculation about her whereabouts. .

"She is doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong while adapting to a new environment," added the lawyers, adding that it is "a very challenging period for her," reports the CNN television channel.

Griner's agent, Lindsay Colas, has added that they will not provide further details. "But we want to express our deepest thanks to the Biden Administration, to the Richardson Center -- who have tried to negotiate for her release -- and to everyone who has reached out to offer words of encouragement for her."

The US State Department confirmed on Wednesday that Griner - sentenced to nine years in prison for drug possession - was in a Russian penal colony, without obtaining further details of its location.

The deputy spokesman for the State Department, Vedant Patel, denounced that Russia "has not provided any official notification" in this regard. Patel remarked that the US Embassy in Moscow, and the entire diplomatic delegation, were "pressing for more information about the transfer and current location" of the athlete.

The White House has offered to exchange the player and ex-marine Paul Whelan - imprisoned in Russia accused of espionage - for arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the "merchant of war", who is serving a 25-year sentence. prison in the United States, although the negotiations have not been fruitful.