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Maria Butina thanks Russians who worked to secure her release

She was grateful to the non-governmental organizations that supported her

Maria Butina Mikhail Dzhaparidze/TASS

Maria Butina

© Mikhail Dzhaparidze/TASS

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/. Russian national Maria Butina who was released from a US prison on Friday has thanked the diplomats who worked hard to secure her release and those Russians who provided financial and moral support.

"I am very glad to return home. Thanks to everyone who supported me, Russian citizens who helped me, wrote letters to me, donated money for my legal defense. I am very glad to see my family. Many thanks to the Foreign Ministry and the diplomats who fought for me every day. They did and are doing everything they could," she told reporters at Sheremetyevo airport on Saturday.

Maria added that she was grateful to the non-governmental organizations that supported her.

"I didn’t give up, because I knew I had no right to do so. I once said in a video that Russians never give up," she said.

Butina flew from Miami, Florida, at 18:00 local time (01:00 Moscow time on Saturday). Her father Valery who came to Moscow to meet his daughter was waiting for her at the airport. About 50 reporters were waiting for the Russian national as well.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was among those who met Butina upon her arrival. She was the author of the first photos and videos of Maria’s long-awaited meeting with her father, which have been posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s social media pages.

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