Brittney Griner's lawyers ask Russian court to acquit her

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, is escorted in a court building in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia August 4, 2022. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The defence team of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner asked a Russian court to acquit her of drug charges on Thursday that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

A Russian prosecutor requested earlier on Thursday that Griner be sentenced to 9.5 years in jail after vape cartridges containing hashish oil were found in her luggage at a Moscow airport in February.

(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by William Maclean)