Putin calls U.S. treatment of admitted agent Butina an outrage

[rooster59]

Putin calls U.S. treatment of admitted agent Butina an outrage

 

FILE PHOTO: Maria Butina appears in a police booking photograph released by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. August 18, 2018. Alexandria Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday made his first comments on a U.S. court sentencing admitted Russian foreign agent Maria Butina to 18 months in prison, calling her treatment a travesty of justice.

 

Butina was sentenced on Friday after the Siberia native, her voice breaking with emotion, begged a judge for mercy and expressed remorse for conspiring with a Russian official to infiltrate a gun rights group and influence U.S. conservative activists and Republicans.

 

Speaking in Beijing, Putin said the sentence looked like an attempt by U.S. law enforcement and judicial officials to save face.

 

"It's an outrage," Putin told reporters.

 

"It's not clear what she was convicted of or what crime she committed. I think it's a prime example of 'saving face.' They arrested her and put the girl in jail. But there was nothing on her, so in order not to look totally stupid they gave her, fixed her up, with an 18-month sentence to show that she was guilty of something."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-28

[YetAnother]

4 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"It's an outrage," Putin told reporters.

drivel from one of the world's worst leaders, a bad man

[Tug]

Coming from the guy who murders with a nerve agent on foreign soil bizarre 

[Puchaiyank]

Her biggest crime is being unattractive...lock her up!

[geoffbezoz]

5 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Her biggest crime is being unattractive...lock her up!

They should do a prisoner swap for her and the Russian brain surgeon that failed miserably on Trump.

[ballpoint]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Putin calls U.S. treatment of admitted agent Butina an outrage

 

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"It's an outrage," Putin told reporters.

Can't argue with the headline.

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, ballpoint said:

  6 hours ago, rooster said:

Putin calls U.S. treatment of admitted agent Butina an outrage

Agree another example of US hysteria. 

[Emdog]

Dear Vlad: <deleted>. Thank you

[from the home of CC]

swap her out for the american who is being held that had four passports...

[edwinchester]

Hopefully he's so worked up about it that the piss tape will soon be made public.

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Putin said the sentence looked like an attempt by U.S. law enforcement and judicial officials to save face.

Let's hear from Butina:

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

begged a judge for mercy and expressed remorse for conspiring with a Russian official to infiltrate a gun rights group and influence U.S. conservative activists and Republicans.

As an unregistered foreign agent.

With time served she'll be out in nine months.

Boo hoo - she got caught.

 

[oldrunner]

I wonder what would happy to a US Agent caught doing the same thing?

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

swap her out for the american who is being held that had four passports...

 

Not sure if you mean Paul Whelan? Some speculate that his arrest is tied to the Butina affair. 

 

On December 20, 2018, when discussing Butina's arrest, Putin stated that Russia "will not arrest innocent people simply to exchange them".

 

On January 5, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that on the day after Whelan's arrest the United States had detained a Russian citizen, Dmitry Makarenko, in the Northern Marianas and transported him to Florida to face charges of unauthorized export of defense equipment.

 

Tit for tat for tit so far.

 

 

11 minutes ago, oldrunner said:

I wonder what would happy to a US Agent caught doing the same thing?

 

Normally they would have a Diplomatic passport, and as such, can only be expelled.

 

AFAIK, Ms. Butina was in the U.S. on a regular Russian passport, with a Student Visa.

 

Some speculate that the FBI tried, unsuccessfully to flip her to become a double-agent. She proved unwilling or was otherwise judged to be not worth the effort.

 

 

47 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

With time served she'll be out in nine months.

 

Maybe even less, given the good behavior discount.

 

[mlmcleod]

18 months is a slap on the wrist!  She admitted to performing acts of treason against the United States.  How long did Russia imprison Gary Powers??

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, oldrunner said:

I wonder what would happy to a US Agent caught doing the same thing?

A threatening nuclear strike I would say due to the paranoia of the US government.  ????

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, mlmcleod said:

How long did Russia imprison Gary Powers??

2 years nearly before a swap but that's no comparison she wasn't flying a spy plane over US.

[fullcave]

10 hours ago, mlmcleod said:

She admitted to performing acts of treason

She's a US citizen? 

[Kwasaki]

19 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Let's hear from Butina:

As an unregistered foreign agent.

With time served she'll be out in nine months.

Boo hoo - she got caught.

 

How about reading what her American lawyer has to say about her case,

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

How about reading what her American lawyer has to say about her case,

I think we can settle for the conviction obtained in an open court of law. 

[Kwasaki]

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I think we can settle for the conviction obtained in an open court of law. 

The truth will be known when the film comes out. ????

[Kasane]

Looks to me she is a pawn in a spy exchange. Happening soon at a theater near you.

[Becker]

20 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

swap her out for the american who is being held that had four passports...

Yes, and make it a twofer and hand back trump at the same time!

Just kidding, he's doing a stellar job for Putin right where he is.

[Guest]

On 4/28/2019 at 8:04 PM, Kwasaki said:

A threatening nuclear strike I would say due to the paranoia of the US government.  ????

I think it was you who brough "A threatening nuclear strike" to this discussion.

 

I wonder why you did that?

 

#tvgs0037

[Kwasaki]

9 hours ago, oilinki said:

On 4/28/2019 at 8:04 PM, Kwasaki said:

A threatening nuclear strike I would say due to the paranoia of the US government.  ????

I think it was you who brough "A threatening nuclear strike" to this discussion.

 

I wonder why you did that?

Taking the pee out of US gov, just humour.  

The US gov hysteria about Russia is laughable IMO.

[Thongkorn]

Well at least she has not been poisoned,