MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th August, 2018) The Russian Embassy in the United States has slammed the administration of a DC jail, where accused spy Maria Butina is being held, for continuing to treat the young woman as a dangerous criminal.
�She continues to be segregated by the administration, meaning she is treated as a dangerous criminal,� the Embassy said on Facebook after a weekly visit to check on the Russian national.
Strict rules of her detainment mean shorter visiting times and prevent her attorneys from discussing with Maria how to better build a case in her defense.
Maria is only let out of the cell to stretch her legs for two hours during nighttime. She has not received necessary medical help and her arthritis has worsened.
In a new development, the detainee has been denied a visit by a Russian Orthodox priest �in a flagrant violation of religious freedom,� the diplomatic mission said.
�We have demanded that the prison administration end its discrimination against the Russian citizen. We have been pushing for her soonest release in contacts with US authorities,� the statement read.
Maria is a recent American University graduate arrested in Washington, DC on July 15 on charges of acting as an agent for a foreign government. She firmly denies the accusations, which may land her in jail for up to 15 years. Russia has slammed the charges as "clearly baseless."
