Russian prosecutors have asked a court outside Moscow to sentence Brittney Griner to 9½ years in prison on cannabis possession charges.
The prosecutors' request was made during closing arguments Thursday in Griner's trial, nearly six months after the American basketball star was arrested at a Moscow airport in a case that has reached the highest levels of U.S.-Russia diplomacy.
Griner has acknowledged having vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage. She is facing up to 10 years in prison, but judges have considerable latitude on sentencing.
Griner's lawyer Maria Blagovolina said a verdict in the case is expected later Thursday. 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.