A request to Putin: the case of an Israeli woman detained in Russia may cause an international scandal

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to have mercy on Israeli woman Naamu Issahar, whom the court in Moscow sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on charges of smuggling and possession of drugs. Writes about it "Present Tense".

Фото: Depositphotos

“I appealed to the President of Russia as a friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel regarding the case of Naama Issachar. Although Naama made a serious mistake and admitted it, such a long sentence could have a terrible impact on her life,” Rivlin wrote on Twitter.

25-year-old Issakhar was detained by Russian customs officers on 9 on April 2019 at Moscow airport with 9,6 grams of hashish in luggage - they were sniffed by a service dog. The girl flew in transit from Delhi (India) to Tel Aviv (Israel) with a stop in Moscow (Russia). She admitted that there really was a drug in her luggage, but did not admit the charge of smuggling.

Screenshot: Twitter / @ PresidentRuvi

The substance was in the girl’s backpack, which she checked into her luggage. During the transfer in Moscow, she did not have access to her backpack. As representatives of Aeroflot later wrote, Issachar did not physically have the opportunity to gain access to the luggage: “Thus, she had no intent to commit criminal acts or smuggling on Russian territory.”

On the subject: Personal experience: how does medical cannabis work on your body?

The girl was immediately placed in jail. The prosecutor's office requested 8 years of imprisonment for her, but according to these articles she could face up to 10 years.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel заявилоthat the girl’s sentence was “disproportionately harsh.” Israel has officially decriminalized the use of marijuana for personal purposes since 2019. Since 1994, Israel has allowed people suffering from cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and chronic pain to use marijuana with a doctor's permission.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• 9 April 25-year-old Naama Issakhar accused of drug smuggling to Russia after in her checked baggage, discovered 9 grams of hashish. Issahar is a native of the United States, has dual American-Israeli citizenship. In April, she returned to Israel after a three-month trip to India. In Moscow, she had a transplant.
• Russian court sentenced Israeli and US citizen Naamu Issahar to 7,5 year of colony on charges of drug smuggling. Russia offered Israel to exchange Issakhar for Alexei Burkov, who was detained in 2015 in Tel Aviv and accused of breaking into databases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained that he was personally interested in the Issakhar case during a recent visit to Sochi, but refused to exchange, as Burkova had already decided to extradite the United States. Netanyahu also called the punishment of Issahar "disproportionate."

Read also on ForumDaily:

Chemical diluents and pesticides: what vapers buy on the US black market

'In the USA, this is a normal business': how a Ukrainian in California sells hemp products

More and more every year: the level of marijuana use by students in the US is breaking records

Personal experience: how does medical cannabis work on your body?

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.