The arrested Russian woman Butina in the US court partially pleaded guilty

Russian citizen Maria Butyna, who was arrested in Washington, pleaded guilty to one of the charges, which deals with a conspiracy to violate the laws on foreign agents in the United States.

Photo: mariabutinafund.ru

Butina, standing in the presence of her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, before the judge, under oath, agreed to enter into a deal with the investigation and thus abandoned the legal process in which her fate would have to be decided by 12 jury members. She confirmed that the conditions of solitary confinement did not affect her decision to conclude a deal with the investigation, writes TASS.

After this, Judge Tanya Chatken asked the Russian woman whether, from 2015 to 2018, she conspired with persons in the United States to harm the interests of the United States. “Yes,” the defendant replied. Butina remained calm during the court hearing, did not show emotions and confidently answered the questions posed.

The judge also tentatively informed Butina that, if a pre-trial agreement was concluded, she was deprived of the right to appeal the conviction with a few exceptions. The Russian woman also answered affirmatively to Chatken’s question about whether she understood that as a result of a pretrial agreement she could be deported and would lose the opportunity to apply for US citizenship.

The court accepted Butin’s confession of guilt on one of the charges under the pre-trial agreement.

The next hearing in the Butina case is scheduled for February 12.

Recall, July 16 The US Department of Justice announced about the arrest of Russians Maria Butina: she is accused of trying to promote Russian interests in the United States without registering as a “foreign agent”. The founder of the public organization Right to Arms, Butina is considered a person close to the deputy chairman of the Central Bank, former senator Alexander Torshin - judging by the American indictment, it was he who oversaw her activities in the United States.

According to the FBIButina met with a Russian diplomat who is suspected of intelligence services by US intelligence agencies. was actively dating with prominent politicians and trying to create a shadow channel of communication between the Kremlin and the administration of Donald Trump.