August 29 – Today Embassy officials visited Russian student Maria Butina who is currently detained in a prison.
We note that Maria is being kept under inhumane regime of administrative segregation forcing her to stay awake fr om 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. This is the only time slot when she is allowed to leave her cell. She doesn’t have access to the fresh air.
Such an approach, which we consider to be a way to put pressure on Maria, cannot fail to affect her mental state. She needs constant support. Practice has shown that Russians staying abroad are now not insured against the risk to attract attention of American intelligence forces and become an object of targeted persecution. Strong public reaction on such an arbitrary is necessary.
We would like to encourage our fellow citizens and all of those who do not trust a “spy story” with the participation of the Russian citizen imposed by mainstream media to write her at the address of Alexandria Detention Center (2001 Mill Rd, Alexandria, VA 22314). Maria thanks all who expresses solidarity and makes donations through the web-site mariabutinafund.com.
It is especially important before the next court hearing to be held on September 10, wh ere her application for house arrest will be processed.