“I know what (Griner) is going through,” Issachar, 28, said during an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Kate Snow. “I watch her videos and I think I know that courtroom.” Issachar was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison after 0.3 ounces of marijuana was found in her luggage during a three-hour layover in Moscow while traveling from India to Israel. Issahar spent 10 months in prison before being pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2020. Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been detained in Russia since February after vapor containers containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession last week and faces up to 10 years in prison. Issachar said Griner’s case is “probably the biggest reason” she’s sharing her story. BRITTNEY GRINER pleads guilty to drug charges at Russian court appearance LEBRON JAMES Clarifies Comments About Brittney Griner’s Detention In Russia Like Griner, Issachar said she unknowingly traveled with cannabis. “It was never intentional. I never knew it was in my bag,” Issachar told the report. Issachar said her checked backpack was searched in front of her after she was pulled from the line at Sheremetyevo Airport while trying to board her flight home. The 28-year-old said there was no translator and she wasn’t sure what was going on. Then, hemp was discovered. “I was like ‘where did that come from?’ There was no point in me saying, ‘Oh, no, they found it,’” he recalls. “I knew it was probably bad, (but) I didn’t realize how bad it could be – that this is probably one of the worst countries for it.” The story continues Issachar told NBC News that she was imprisoned in several Russian facilities over the course of 10 months, including the one where Griner is believed to be being held. She said she shared a cell with up to 40 women at a time and was only allowed one hour of fresh air a day. “They provide you with nothing but food,” he said, adding that he never felt fear or abuse. “They don’t provide you with toilet paper or feminine hygiene products.” BRITTNEY GRINER: What’s life like in a Russian prison for the WNBA star? ‘MIGHT BE HERE FOREVER’: What we know as Brittney Griner pleads guilty in ‘mind-numbing’ trial OPINION: Don’t forget Brittney Griner, WNBA star and Russian prisoner, is a person too WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted into a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, on July 7, 2022. Issachar – who grew up in New Jersey before moving to Israel as a teenager and serving as a sniper in the Israeli army – said she believed she was “underhanded” a political pawn used by Putin as tensions escalated between the Russian leader and then Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. Griner was arrested and detained on February 17 after Russia invaded Ukraine and escalated international tensions with the United States and the rest of the world. Griner is due back in court Thursday after pleading guilty last week. When asked what message he would send Griner, Issachar said, “Try to smile. It helps even if it looks like it doesn’t. It really does. I think there’s so much power in what we train our minds to think. There was something that I read and it really changed everything I thought about. It was a quote that said if you can’t change anything else, you can choose to change your mind. It was that simple.” Contributed by Chris Bumbaca This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brittney Griner has support from woman jailed in Russia for cannabis
