Moscow To Keep Providing Assistance To Russian Citizen Butina Detained In US - Zakharova

Russia will continue to closely follow the situation with Russian citizen Maria Butina and provide her with the necessary assistance, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2018) Russia will continue to closely follow the situation with Russian citizen Maria Butina and provide her with the necessary assistance, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

Butina, a recent student and a political activist, was arrested in Washington, DC in mid-July on suspicions of acting as an agent for a foreign government. She has denied the accusations. Butina, who faces up to 15 years in jail, is now being held in a prison in the US city of Alexandria, Virginia.

"Of course, we will closely follow the situation ... We will continue to provide Maria Butina with all the necessary aid and demand the US authorities to stop her illegal prosecution and release the Russian citizen," Zakharova said at a press briefing.

The spokeswoman pointed out that Moscow would continue to make efforts aimed at Butina's release from the jail adding that the work of the Russian Embassy had already improved the prison conditions, who has now an opportunity to attend rehabilitation exercises, meet visitors and make phone calls to speak with her relatives.

Russia has strongly criticized the US government for detaining Butina, and has characterized the charges against her as "clearly groundless." The Russian Foreign Ministry has called Butina's ongoing detention unacceptable.