“I’m Angry at Our US Government for Leaving Me There to Rot”: Brittney Griner Release Evokes Strong Response From Another Ex-Prisoner

Published 12/23/2022, 3:50 PM EST
The detention of Brittney Griner brought light to many heartbreaking stories of American citizens stuck on foreign soil. While Griner’s release was secured by the State Department, other detainees were not lucky enough to acquire freedom. Russia recently deported an American citizen back to the US after nearly a year of incarceration. However, the release of Brittney Griner triggered a strong response from the former prisoner, a resident of Fresno.
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An English teacher named Sarah Krivanek was detained in Russia in February and was sentenced to 15 months in a penal colony under assault charges. Moreover, she recently returned to the US after being deported by Russia on December 8. Krivanek recently laid out her traumatic experience, frustrations, and opinions surrounding her detention.
Release of Brittney Griner triggers a tirade from Krivanek
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In a recent interview with ABC, Sarah Krivanek stated that Russia used her and Brittney Griner’s detention as an advantage to serve their political agenda, amid the ongoing war against Ukraine. Moreover, Krivanek condemned the US government for the lack of support during her time as a Russian prisoner. She reckoned that the State Department did not think about her sufferings while being stuck alone in a penal colony.
Further, Krivanek was asked who she was angry at, evoking a strong response from her. The Fresno resident stated, “I’m angry at our US government, for leaving me there to rot. They said we were working on your case very diligently. Somebody’s going to come out to see you in the colony. Nobody ever came.”
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Krivanek was disappointed by the lack of efforts made by the US authorities during her detention in Russia. She felt like the government had left her behind and her patriotism meant nothing.
Krivanek claims to be assaulted by a male detainee
Krivanek was held in a remote penal colony that housed male and female inmates. She claimed to have no way of contacting the outside world and could not tell anyone about her struggles. Moreover, Krivanek revealed the consequences of complaining about the prison authorities in Russia.
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Sarah Krivanek revealed that she was assaulted by a male inmate on behalf of the guards while the female inmates kept a watch. Krivanek reckoned that the incident had a hurtful psychological impact on her. Therefore, she was upset that the US authorities did not do enough to help her during her struggles in Russia.