Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Rules Out Prisoner Swap With Israel Ahead of Putin’s Visit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “ceaseless efforts” to secure Issachar’s release in a letter his office published Monday. Artyom Geodakyan / TASS

Russia does not plan to exchange a U.S.-Israeli backpacker jailed on drug charges ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Israel this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Naama Issachar, 27, was sentenced to seven and a half years for drug smuggling after airport authorities found less than 10 grams of hashish in her bag during her layover in Moscow. Russia asked Israel in October to swap Issachar for a suspected Russian hacker, whom Israel extradited to the United States in what Moscow saw as a snub.

“The exchange [of Issachar] option is not under consideration, as far as I know,” Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov was quoted by the state-run TASS news agency as saying.

Putin is expected in Israel to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp on Jan. 27. His invitation stirred controversy in Poland, whose president pulled out of the event amid Warsaw’s ongoing spat with Putin over the origins of World War II.

Issachar’s mother Yaffa Issachar appealed to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to not host Putin at his residence, The Times of Israel reported earlier this month. “It is my intention to come straight from Moscow to the entrance to the president’s residence that same evening and block with my body the entrance of the Russian president and his delegation,” Issachar’s mother said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “ceaseless efforts” to secure Issachar’s release in a letter his office published Monday.

“We do not abandon anyone to their fate and so it is in your case as well,” Netanyahu wrote.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more