Israel has suspended the extradition to the U.S. of a Russian hacker after Russia proposed to swap him for an Israeli woman jailed in Russia over airport marijuana possession, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.
In mid-October, Russia asked Israel to swap Alexei Burkov, who is wanted in the U.S. on charges of credit card fraud, for Naama Issachar, who was recently sentenced to prison in Russia on drug-smuggling charges. Israel has condemned Russia's sentencing of Issachar as "heavy" and "disproportionate."
Israel’s supreme court sided with Issachar’s family to temporarily suspend Burkov’s extradition to the U.S., citing the “necessity to protect Israeli citizens” and the “exceptional circumstances” of Issachar’s case.
Issachar, a U.S.-Israeli citizen, was detained in April during a layover in a Moscow airport and accused her of having 9 grams of cannabis in her bag.
Issachar pleaded not guilty to charges of drug smuggling but didn't deny that the cannabis in her bag was hers. She was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
