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Russian embassy asks US Department of State about Butina's deportation

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said that the embassy "sent a diplomatic note to the US Department of State asking to explain the procedure for the Russian citizen's return home"

WASHINGTON, October 23. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in the United States has sent a diplomatic note to the US Department of State requesting to provide information about Russian citizen Maria Butina's return to Moscow, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said on Tuesday.

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No formal obstacles for Butina's return to Russia — ambassador

"From our side, we sent a diplomatic note to the US Department of State asking to explain the procedure for the Russian citizen's return home. On this issue, we maintain personal communication with responsible persons from the US Department of State. They say that all US rules and norms are being observed," Antonov said.

He added that the White House, the US Department of Justice and the US Federal Bureau of Prisons were already informed about the Russian diplomats' request. "The US Department of State promised to keep us updated about the situation," he added.

The ambassador noted that "the previous experience of returning Russian citizens home shows that the deportation procedure is linked with certain difficulties." "First of all, this is due to a considerable distance between the prison and an international airport, availability of seats on flights. As far as we understand, Maria will be sent through a deportation center, where she could spend some time while awaiting deportation," he said.

Maria Butina was arrested in Washington on July 15, 2018 - ahead of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Helsinki. She was charged with participation in a collusion for carrying out activity on US territory to benefit a foreign state. American intelligence services stated 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 1.5 years of imprisonment. Moscow stated that the charges were fabricated and demanded that she be released from custody.

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