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Russian national Butina, released from US jail, returns to hometown

Her father, Valery Butin, said his daughter planned to celebrate her birthday with the family on November 10

Maria Butina Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Maria Butina

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

BARNAUL, October 29. /TASS/. Russian citizen Maria Butina, who was earlier released from a US prison, arrived to her home city of Barnaul in southern Siberia’s region of Altai on Tuesday together with her father Valery Butin, a TASS correspondent reported.

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Maria Butina released from US jail flies to her home city of Barnaul, says father

The plane with Butina on board, which took off from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, landed in Barnaul at 05:11 local time (01:11 Moscow time).

In the airport, Butina thanked journalists who congratulated her on the return to her homeland and, without giving any comments to the press, went to relatives and friends who gathered to meet her.

Her father, Valery Butin, told TASS in Moscow on Monday that his daughter planned to celebrate her birthday with the family on November 10.

"We would like to spend some time in the family circle [on her birthday]," he said. "I mean, we plan no special celebrations."

Butin also said his daughter currently has no concrete plans for the future, but "if any proposals arise, they will be considered with pleasure."

"It would be good if she makes the use of the knowledge she received prior to all those sad events. In fact, she has three university diplomas and vast experience in both political work and organizational efforts. She has a store of knowledge, and is looking forward to use it productively," Butin added.

Butina, 30, was arrested in Washington on July 15, 2018, ahead of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Helsinki. She was charged with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent in the United States. US intelligence services argued that the Russian citizen carried out this activity without being registered as an agent of a foreign state with the Department of Justice. On April 26, Butina was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Moscow stated that the charges had been trumped-up and demanded her release from custody. Butina's sentence ended on Friday, October 25.

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