How Maria Butina fooled the Russian opposition - ForumDaily exclusive

Maria Butina, arrested in the United States on charges of promoting Russia's interests as a “foreign agent” operating without registration, before coming to America, participated in human rights and opposition projects in Russia, and none of the activists who communicated with her had any idea that she could work to the government or special services. Yulia Guseinova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Bar Association for Human Rights, reported in an interview with ForumDaily.

Maria Butina in 2013 year. Personal page of Maria Butina on Facebook

«Maria participated in many of our events before 2015. We conducted an excellent study of life expectancy around the world with her, collected data on the human potential index with a forecast of up to 2050 of the year. I did not notice any “patriotism” in it. On the contrary, Butina expressed a very sober assessment of what was happening and showed a rather sharp opposition to many initiatives of the authorities - a very sober and reasonable one. She was one of the few speakers who didn’t have to explain what to say at events. Masha also took a very tough and confident position against the harassment (sexual harassment of women), ”Recalls Julia.

According to Yulia Huseinova, Maria Butina showed a special interest in the topic of space exploration and the equality of men and women in this field.

«Maria entered the women's space squad, really wanted to fly into space herself, preparing, practicing on her own. She was very purposeful in the field of space exploration, constantly communicated with us about it, always posted information on this topic, carefully followed the agenda in this area. This moment is very bribed, of course. That is why there was not even a hint that there could be some second bottom", - summed up Julia.

Similar impressions Maria Butyna made a lawyer and human rights activist Maria bast. 16 July, when information appeared about the arrest of a Russian woman, Maria Bast wrote on her Facebook pagethat when talking about space at Butina "eyes burned."

«She joined our Female Space Squad, opposed discrimination against women in the space industry, we filed with her an application to protest from Roscosmos in defense of women's rights", - recalls Bast, however, adding that Butina could be tempted"search for money and earnings to the detriment of your dreams».

According to Russian opposition members living in the United States, Maria Butina tried to make contacts with them, but nothing came of it.

«One day she came up to meet us when we picketed the Russian embassy in Washington. However, after Maria said that she was engaged in the legalization of weapons in Russia, I immediately understood that this sounds very strange, and there is something wrong here. We no longer maintained contact."- told ForumDaily one of the initiators of the Magnitsky Act, human rights activist Tatyana Nyberg.

Maria Butina Photos: Facebook

Some other Russian dissidents living in the United States also noted the discrepancy between Butina’s behavior in America and her image created in Russia.

«The Russian authorities are even afraid of unarmed schoolchildren going to rallies against the authorities. The regime is based on the intimidation of people and the constant use of force. Could anyone seriously believe that a person promoting such a dangerous and unpopular idea for the authorities, like free possession of weapons by citizens in a totalitarian country, could enjoy such support and favor of the authorities? Of course, the image of Butina was very much impressed by the elderly American weapons lobbyists, but for those who are familiar with Russian realities, her legend seems nonsense"- say the interlocutors ForumDaily.

Recall, July 16 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”. Founder of the public organization “Right to Arms”, Butina is considered to be a person close to the deputy chairman of the Central Bank, the former senator Alexandru Torshin - judging by the American indictment, it was he who supervised its activities in the United States.

According to the FBI, Boutina met with a Russian diplomat who is suspected of intelligence services by American intelligence agencies, actively made contacts with prominent politicians and tried to create a shadow channel of communication between the Kremlin and the administration Donald Trump. With this she reported to her american contactsthat the channels it creates have received the approval of the Presidential Administration of Russia and personally Vladimir Putin.

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