Sarah Krivanek tells reevewill about her year-long detainment in Russia, saying she was assaulted by fellow inmates and left without hope because she had no contact with the outside world.
December 22, 2022, 6:25 AMAn American woman held in captivity in a Russian prison for most of this year says she was assaulted by an inmate and left without contact to the outside world.Krivanek, who spoke to ABC News in an exclusive sit-down interview this week, was released Dec. 8, the same day thatShe said she is suffering PTSD and malnourishment she endured but had to check herself into a local hospital upon arrival back home. She is currently working with a trauma specialist.
In this Nov. 10, 2022, file photo, U.S. citizen Sarah Krivanek, who spent almost eleven months in detention in Russia on charges of causing light injuries to her civil partner, attends a court hearing to consider her deportation, in Ryazan, Russia.Krivanek, 46, had moved to Russia in 2017 to teach English. Fluent in both languages, she said she ended up enjoying a successful career teaching at elite schools in Moscow.
Being an American, she said, often made her a target among prison officials and other inmates. She said she witnessed sex trafficking, drug use and gambling throughout her entire stay.Blocked from using the official prison phone system, Krivanek said she used a smuggled cell phone to call the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. She said her seven-minute call was redirected to Washington where she told an operator her name and where she was located. The signal was lost immediately afterward.
Martinez said she then began a long and difficult effort to get her friend released, which included contacting the embassy in Moscow, the State Department, and activist and media organizations. She said a State Department official told her that they were aware of Krivanek's location and were working on her release, but that they could not give her details because she didn't have permission from Krivanek to allow them to speak to her.The adjustment back to life in the U.S.
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