Moscow slams US for subjecting 'Russian spy' to 'borderline torture' (2024)

Maria Butina (pictured), 29, was indicted last month on several counts including charges of conspiracy to act and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government

Russia has accused the United States of trying to 'break' suspected spy Maria Butina by subjecting her to humiliating treatment and 'borderline torture' while in jail.

Butina, a 29-year-old gun rights advocate living in Washington, DC, was arrested in July and has been accused of acting as a Russian government agent while developing ties with American citizens and infiltrating political groups.

Butina, who pleaded not guilty to counts of conspiracy to act and failing to register as an agent of a foreign government, was detained without bail pending trial after prosecutors presented evidence suggesting she had connections to Russian intelligence operatives and was being funded by Russian oligarchs.

Russia's US embassy said in a bilingual statement released on its official Facebook page on Sunday that Butina had been transferred from a prison in Washington to the same Virginia prison as Paul Manafort, the President's former campaign manager, on Friday without notice or explanation and that her personal belongings, including books and hygiene items, had been confiscated.

'Her situation is getting worse. It's obvious that attempts are being made to "break" Maria using additional humiliation and psychological pressure,' the embassy said.

She had been forced to endure what the embassy described as a 'humiliating' strip search and shackled during the transfer, it alleged, before being held in a quarantine cell for 12 hours without food, with the lights on and almost without sleep. Butina now faced a solitary confinement regime.

'We have more and more questions for the U.S. justice system,' the embassy's post read. 'Should Maria really be doomed to suffer such borderline torture before a court verdict on the allegations against her?'

The author of the statement went on to speculate that the Trump administration's decision to have the US withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council back in June was motivated by its eagerness 'to give the U.S. authorities green light for such provocations.'

The embassy vowed to strive for Butina's freedom and called on the State Department to make sure that the Russian citizen is treated in a 'normal, humane' manner.

As of Friday, Butina was being held in this Alexandria, Virginia, detention center, which also houses Paul Manafort

Russian diplomats claim the 29-year-old has been subjected to a 'humiliating' strip search and deprived of food for 12 hours

The transfer occurred just days after the Russian Embassy in Washington DC complained about Butina's jail conditions

'We expect human rights organizations to strictly condemn the U.S. actions,' the embassy concluded. 'This lawlessness must be stopped.'

Federal prosecutors successfully persuaded a judge in July that Butina was a flight risk and should be jailed prior to her trial.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has raised the case with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, demanding Butina be freed.

The next hearing in her case is scheduled for September 10.

Butina's attorney, Robert Driscoll confirmed to the Washington Post on Saturday that his client was transferred Friday from the DC prison to the one in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Justice Department accuses Butina of being directed by a 'high-level' official in Russia to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and build relationships with conservative politicians

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It remains unclear why she was moved to a new jail.

'As a matter of policy, we do not disclose information related to individual prisoners to protect their privacy, safety and security,' a spokesperson for the US Marshal Service said.

Driscoll said the transfer occurred at around 5pm. The jail in Alexandria is the same facility where Manafort is currently awaiting a verdicton his high-profile trial for tax evasion and bank fraud.

The trial is the first case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller to go to trial. The jury returned Monday for a third day of deliberations on 18 counts.

The jail in Alexandria is the same facility where Manafort (pictured) is currently being held while he awaits a verdict on his trial for tax evasion and bank fraud

The transfer occurred just days after the Russian Embassy in Washington DC complained about Butina's jail conditions and claimed that her 'health has deteriorated.'

'It seems as if Washington is trying to force her to cooperate with the investigation by making her living conditions as difficult as possible,' the embassy tweeted on Thursday, adding a 'FreeMariaButina' hashtag at the end.

Driscoll said he was unsure whether the transfer was related to the embassy's concerns.

The Justice Department accuses Butina of being directed by a 'high-level' official in Russia to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and build relationships with conservative politicians from 2015 to 2017.

Russia's foreign minister told the U.S. Secretary of State on last month that Butina had been detained on 'fabricated charges' and should be released.

Butina worked forAlexander Torshin, a Russian banker with close ties to the Kremlin, and served as his interpreter at various Washington events.

The investigation into Butina’s efforts to influence American politics was overseen by the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and not by Mueller’s office.

Democrats on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee investigating any ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia previously highlighted Butina as a person of interest and sought permission from the committee’s Republican leadership to bring her in for questioning.

Republicans declined that request and later issued a report along party lines that found there was no collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

The Russian Embassy shared on its official Facebook page a screenshot of an online fundraiser dedicated to Maria Butina's defense fund

Butina worked for Alexander Torshin, a Moscow-based banker with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured), and served as his interpreter at various Washington events

Moscow slams US for subjecting 'Russian spy' to 'borderline torture' (2024)

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