T.J.Quinn said that the nine-year prison sentence was expected. There is a time and a place for it.
Russian prosecutors want a court outside Moscow to sentence the basketball player to two years in prison for cannabis possession.
The prosecutors made a request during closing arguments in the trial of the American basketball player who was arrested at a Moscow airport in a case that has reached the highest levels of U.S.- Russia diplomacy.
She apologized to the judge on Thursday, saying that she never meant to break the law in Russia when she had the e-liquid in her luggage.
"I hope that is far away from this courtroom, because I know everybody keeps talking about political pawns and politics, but I hope that is not true," he said.
After the judge reads the entire report into the record, he will issue a verdict and sentence. The length of her detainment will be determined by negotiations on a prisoner swap between the US and Russia.
She apologized for the embarrassment caused by her arrest.
She apologized to her teammates, her club, her fans and the city of Yekaterinburg for her mistake. I would like to apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the NBA and my amazing spouse back at home.
Maria Blagovolina asked the court to acquit her client, noting that she had no criminal record and that she played a part in the development of Russian basketball.
If the court deems it necessary to punish her, she should be given the lightest punishment possible.
Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist have pursued strategies to bolster her contention that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage because of haste. The character witnesses from the Yekaterinburg team and the doctor who prescribed her cannabis have been presented. Some of the case files were drawn up in a way that was against the law.
Boykov said that she was loved and admired by her teammates and that she helped Yekaterinburg win multiple titles. He told the judge that a conviction would make Moscow's call to depoliticize sports sound silly.
The lawyer said that when she went on walks at the jail, her guards and other inmates supported her by shouting, "Brittney, everything will be okay!"
In addition to the prison sentence, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a 1 million ruble fine on Briner for packing the cannabis oil deliberately.
The high-stakes possibility of a prisoner swap will be the focus if she doesn't go free.
Her case was moved under the supervision of the presidential envoy for hostage affairs after the US State Department designated her as "wrongfully detained" before her trial began.
The U.S. Secretary of State spoke to his Russian counterpart last week, urging him to accept a deal under which two Americans imprisoned in Russia would be freed.
It was the highest-level contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. attempts to ostracize the Kremlin are at odds with the direct outreach.
According to multiple reports, the proposal calls for trading two athletes for a notorious arms trader. It shows the public pressure the White House has had to deal with.
The White House believes that Russia has made a bad faith response to the US government's offer. She wouldn't say what she was talking about.
Russian officials don't like the way the US shows disrespect for Russian law. They urged Washington to talk about the issue through quiet diplomacy.
The Associated Press and T.J.Quinn contributed to this report
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