Russian national Maria Butina, who has served a prison term in the United States for not registering as a foreign agent, will become a host of an RT online show about Russia's political life, the broadcaster announced
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2019) Russian national Maria Butina, who has served a prison term in the United States for not registering as a foreign agent, will become a host of an RT online show about Russia's political life, the broadcaster announced."Well, I am home now," Butina said in a promotional video on Tuesday, while wearing an RT "foreign agent" T-shirt.
The show, called "Wonderful Russia Bu Bu Bu," is aired every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. Moscow time (17:00 GMT).
Butina was arrested by US authorities in July 2018 and sentenced to 18 months in prison for "conspiring to work for a foreign government." She was deported to Russia on October 25 after her sentence was slightly reduced for good behavior. The Russian national spent a significant part of her sentence in solitary confinement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has called Butina's sentence a disgrace to the US judicial system and accused the court of carrying out a political order. President Vladimir Putin said that Butina's indictment was unjustified because she was never tasked with performing any mission on behalf of the Russian government.
Upon her return to Russia, Butina said that she now planned to become a human rights advocate and protect Russians who had been unjustly convicted abroad.
