Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February after being accused of carrying vape cartridges containing hash oil, was found guilty of smuggling illegal narcotics into the country, The New York Times reports.
Prosecutors asked for 9.5 years in prison for the basketball star before she was found guilty of smuggling drugs with criminal intent, CNN reports.
The U.S. basketball star appeared in court and broke down in tears as she begged the judge not to “end her life” with a harsh prison sentence, according to Reuters.
“I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn’t end my life here,” Griner said in court, according to Reuters.
The WNBA star now waits to see what happens next as the U.S. and Russia discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange that would bring Griner home.
According to Moscow officials, a verdict in Griner’s trial was a necessary precondition for a possible exchange, the Times reports. The U.S. has said Griner is wrongly detained.
Griner’s defense team has been arguing that the WNBA star brought hash oil into the country by mistake when she went there to compete for a team in the Russian league. Her lawyers have asked the court to take Griner’s personality into account and consider the role she has played in the development of Russian basketball.
“There should be a milder penalty,” Maria Blagovolina, a lawyer representing the basketball star, said, according to the Times.
