Russian media has released a picture of Naama Issachar, an American-Israeli backpacker sentenced to seven-and-a-half-years in prison earlier this month for drug smuggling.
According to reports to Russian media, Issachar met with a human right activist yesterday, who said the 23-year-old backpacker was in good health, learning Russian and practicing yoga with her fellow inmates.
Issachar told the activists that prison authorities were not able to coordinate a visit from a rabbi, and that she had requested to be allowed to receive phone calls from home.
Jailed Israeli backpacker Naama Issachar (L) meets Daniil Lomakin(R), a member of the Public Observation Commission of the Moscow Region at the Novo Grishino prison, outside Moscow, on October 23, 2019. (FSIN)
“We filed a petition with the court to let me call my mother and sister, but it has not yet been considered,” she said according to reports.
Issachar said she was grateful for all the public support, and was hopeful it would help secure her release
“I really want to get home. I hope that such publicity will help.”
The visit came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a potential pardon for Issachar.
Israeli officials reportedly believe Moscow is using Issachar, who also holds American citizenship, as leverage to ensure the return of Alexey Burkov, an IT specialist set to be extradited by Israel to the US, where he is wanted on embezzlement charges. Reports in the Hebrew media have indicated Israeli officials think Burkov may be tied to Russian intelligence.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
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