The Russian woman, Maria Butina, convicted in the US for illegal agent activity, has been released from prison. In April of this year, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She had attempted to infiltrate conservative lobby groups in the US, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA). Now she was released from a Florida prison after spending more than 15 months in detention. Tomorrow, she will arrive in Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was outraged by the conviction of Butina. He said that she had not executed any orders from the Russian government.
She cooperated with the American authorities
Butina had confessed to having operated under the guidance of a Moscow government official in the United States. This also includes the time of the US Presidential campaign in 2016. She had cooperated with the US authorities, thereby reducing her potential prison sentence.
The case against Butina does not go back to the Russia investigations of Special Investigator Robert Mueller. Mueller had examined possible agreements between representatives of the Trump camp and Russia in the 2016 election campaign. US intelligence agencies accuse Russia of trying to influence the then US elections.
Butina was enrolled on a student visa in Washington and campaigned for gun rights. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considered the study a camouflage of agent activity. After her arrest, Butina had been remanded for absconding.
No "traditional" agent activity
US prosecutors said she had not pursued "traditional" agent activity, but had been working behind the scenes to break into conservative circles and improve relations between the US and Russia. She had organized dinners in Washington and New York and attended events to meet prominent politicians. Among other things, she met US President Donald Trump.
It is not clear what crime she committed, Putin said. "I think it's an excellent example of 'true face'," said the Russian president. "They arrested the girl and put her in jail, but there was nothing - to avoid being stupid, they sentenced her to 18 months in prison to show that she was somehow guilty."
Butina had stated that she did not know that she should have registered as a foreign lobbyist. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan said at the verdict that this was not a case of a simple miscalculation by an over-ambitious Russian student. "The implementation was demanding and penetrated deeply into political organizations," she said.
