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Russian Foreign Ministry announces campaign in support of Butina

The ministry urges netizens to use Butina’s photos as their profile pics and suggests the #FreeMariaButina hashtag

MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry has launched an online flash mob in support of Russian citizen Maria Butina, who was detained in the United States earlier this week.

"Due to the arrest of Russian citizen Maria Butina in the United States, we launch a flash mob in her support," the ministry said in its official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, attaching the young woman’s photo.

The ministry urges netizens to use Butina’s photos as their profile pics and suggests the #FreeMariaButina hashtag.

Maria Butina was arrested in Washington DC on July 15 on charges of acting as an unregistered agent of the Russian government.

According to the US Department of Justice, the 29-year-old Butina is suspected of acting "as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with US persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation."

The complaint further states that Butina had the right to enter and reside in the United States on a student visa, but "undertook her activities without officially disclosing the fact that she was acting as an agent of Russian government, as required by law."

Russian Defense Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow considered Washington’s allegations against Butina to be groundless and politically motivated. According to her, Russia has been doing everything possible to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the arrested woman.