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Russian national Maria Butina admitted to the US District Judge Tanya Chutkana single count of conspiracy at the US court, RIA Novosti reports. The US District Judge claimed that the confession was by free will and without coercion.
The next court hearing to follow on February 12, 2019. Butina is going to cooperate with the investigation. The sentence date is yet to be announced.
Note, Maria Butina admitted seeking to establish and use “unofficial lines of communication with Americans having influence over U.S. politics” for the benefit of the Russian government through a top Russian official. If all the claimed is true Butina will face up to 5 years in American prison. The Sentence can be reduced if Maria will cooperate with authorities. Meanwhile Robert Driscoll, an attorney for Butina, said she is not a Russian agent but merely a student with an interest in politics and a desire to network with Americans.
Russian MFA commented that Moscow will support any decision Butina could take for her release.
As we reported earlier, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Maria Butina was treated by the US authorities like in the days of the “medieval inquisition." This process is not about justice or legal trial, only blackmailing and political pressure, said Zakharova.
Note, the Russian woman to have been detained in Washington on suspicion of illegal activities in the interests of a Russian official who was on the sanction list. Butina had pleaded non-guilty on the accusation.
Moscow called the accusations preposterous. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Butina’s arrest was needed to negate the positive effect that the Russian and American presidents had achieved at the summit in Helsinki.
Russkiy Mir
