Pardoning Committee Approves Appeal of Israeli Jailed in Russia

Jerusalem, 28 January, 2020 (TPS) -- A pardoning committee in Russia approved on Monday the pardon request filed Na’ama Issachar, the Israeli jailed in Russia for a minor drug offense.

The request was relayed to President Vladimir Putin and awaits his confirmation, the last stage before Issachar can be released.

Officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited the “significant progress” towards Issachar’s release to the “close and personal relationship” between Netanyahu and Putin.

Netanyahu spoke to Putin seven times about Issachar’s release, and along with conversations held between Israeli and Russian officials, the issue was raised about 20 times since Issachar’s arrest on April 9 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, where she had stopped for a connecting flight to Tel Aviv from New Delhi. Russian authorities found 9.5 grams of cannabis in her luggage and arrested her.

In Jerusalem last week, Putin said that “everything will be alright” in regards to Issachar’s release.