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MARIA BUTINA'S CASE

US-jailed Russian activist Butina satisfied with prison conditions — embassy

The Russian citizen is "getting ready for a court hearing scheduled for February 12"

Maria Butina AP Photo

Maria Butina

WASHINGTON, January 11. /TASS/. Maria Butina, a Russian activist detained in the United States on suspicion of acting as an unregistered foreign agent, had no complaints about her prison conditions when Russian diplomats visited her earlier this week, a Russian embassy source told TASS on Thursday.

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Family of incarcerated Butina needs $436,000 to pay US lawyer’s fees

"As part of effort to maintain contact with Russian citizens kept in pretrial facilities or serving prison sentences in the United States, diplomats have paid a regular visit to Butina in a prison in Alexandria, Virginia. Maria had no complaints about her prison conditions," the embassy said.

According to diplomats, the Russian citizen is "getting ready for a court hearing scheduled for February 12."

"The embassy keeps rendering all the necessary assistance to Russian citizens to make sure their legitimate rights are observed," Russian diplomats said.

Maria Butina, 30, was arrested in Washington DC on July 15, right before the Helsinki meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump. The US Department of Justice said that she was 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."

On December 13, a court in District Columbia heard Butina plead guilty to one of the charges brought against her - violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Earlier she signed a plea bargain with the attorney’s office.

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Maria Butina's case

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