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Plane With Butina Released From US Prison Landed at Moscow Airport

© AP PhotoIn this photo taken on Sunday, April 21, 2013, Maria Butina, leader of a pro-gun organization in Russia, speaks to a crowd during a rally in support of legalizing the possession of handguns in Moscow, Russia
In this photo taken on Sunday, April 21, 2013, Maria Butina, leader of a pro-gun organization in Russia, speaks to a crowd during a rally in support of legalizing the possession of handguns in Moscow, Russia - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A plane with Russian citizen Maria Butina, who was released from prison in the United States after serving an 18-month term, landed at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Butina was arrested by US authorities on 25 July, 2018, and held in solitary confinement until she signed a plea deal in December charging her with one count of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent without notifying the US Attorney General.

The initial charges against Butina carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison but in April, despite her defense lawyer requesting time served, a US court sentenced Butina to 18 months in prison. In June, however, her sentence was reduced slightly due to good behavior.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called Butina's sentence a disgrace of the US judicial system and accused the US court of carrying out a political order. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Butina’s indictment is unjustified because she was not tasked to perform any mission on behalf of the Russian government.

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