Griner has been detained in Russia for six months on drug-related charges. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Russian prosecutors asked a court outside Moscow to sentence American basketball star Brittney Griner to 9 1/2 years in prison as closing arguments in her cannabis possession trial were made Thursday.
The trial is nearing its end nearly six months after Griner’s arrest at a Moscow airport and subsequent detention, a case that has reached the highest levels of U.S.-Russia diplomacy. She faces up to 10 years in prison, if convicted
Although a conviction appears almost certain, given that Russian courts rarely acquit defendants and Griner has acknowledged having vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage, judges have considerable latitude on sentencing.
Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist have pursued strategies to bolster Griner’s contention that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage due to hasty packing.
