Yafa Issachar said she intermittently optimistic that an appeal to the court will be answered and her daughter will be released, after being held for six months so far and hoped to relay to her daughter the support of Israeli officials and citizens alike
Yafa Issachar, the mother of Naama Issachar, was given permission to visit her daughter in prison.
Naama, was sentenced to almost eight years in a Russian prison after a small amount of cannabis was found in her possession as she was transit through a Moscow airport.
” I was given permission by a judge to visit my daughter in prison” she told Ynet, “I must hurry so I am not late to arrive” she added saying she wanted to bring her daughter some food.
“We have a wonderful country that must not be taken for granted. There has been so much support” Yafa said, “The prime minister and justice minister both called me” she said hoping to tell her daughter about that and about the letter President Reuven Rivlin wrote to Russia President Vladimir Putin requesting her release.
“”Because of the particular and individual circumstances of Naama Issachar’s case, I am appealing to your mercy and compassion with a request for your personal intervention to grant her an extraordinary pardon.” the president wrote.
Naama Issachar, 26, was arrested on April 9 while in transit in a Moscow airport, en route from India to Israel, and accused of carrying 9 grams of cannabis, her family said. Russian authorities charged her with drug smuggling.Her family says she is being punished disproportionately to pressure Israel into freeing a Russian held in Israel on a U.S. extradition request.
On Thursday, Russia’s RT news channel suggested Issachar could be traded for Alexei Burkov, a Russian detained while visiting Israel in 2015. Israeli officials say the United States wants to extradite Burkov for suspected cybercrimes.
Yafa Issachar said she intermittently optimistic that an appeal to the court will be answered and her daughter will be released, after being held for six months so far.
Naama’s Russian attorney Alexander Tayts, told Ynet the sentencing, which he said was excessively severe, poses a precedence for anyone traveling through Russian airports since his client was on transit and did not officially enter Russia.
” Naama’s difficulties are compounded by the fact she does not speak Russian. He said and added “She does not belong in a Russian prison and we will keep fighting for her release.
As reported by Ynetnews