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Opposition activist Taisia Osipova convoyed to Tver region penitentiary

Ruling on 8-year jail term was protested both by Osipova's lawyers and prosecutors

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

SMOLENSK, November 28 (Itar-Tass) — Other Russia activist Taisia Osipova, sentenced to eight years for drug sale, has been convoyed to the Tver region, her lawyer Natalia Shaposhnikova told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

"She was convoyed to a general regime penitentiary in Tver," Shaposhnikova said.

In December 2011, Smolensk's Zadneprovsky court found Taisia Osipova guilty of drug sales "in especially large amount" sentencing her to ten years in jail. The ruling was protested at the regional court and on August 28, the district court reduced the sentence to eight years. The prosecutor had asked to sentence the defendant to four years.

The ruling on the 8-year jail term was protested both by Osipova's lawyers and the prosecutors.

The Smolensk regional court upheld the verdict on November 7, 2012.

At a meeting between the then President Dmitry Medvedev and students of the department for journalism, the Lomonosov Moscow State University, in January 2012, the president was asked about Taisia Osipova's case. Medvedev replied he was "ready to request the case materials" and ordered prosecutors to analyze it once again.

He also he would consider her pardon plea. Taisia Osipova is the wife of member of Other Russia's executive committee Sergei Fomchenkov.

Her lawyer believes she was arrested because of her husband's political activity and framed in a criminal case, but police flatly denied it.

Various actions have been staged in support of Osipova.

Osipova's lawyers criticized the court for not taking in to account her having a small child and a bad illness record.

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