Russian President Vladimir Putin pardoned a New Jersey-born woman who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for trafficking marijuana.
Naama Issachar, 26, was arrested in April 2019 while traveling from India to Israel. She had a layover in Moscow, where her checked bag was searched and three ounces of cannabis were discovered.
“Guided by the principles of humanity, I pardon Naama Issachar,” read the decree offering the pardon.
Issachar denied the charges and said she never wished to enter the country at all, pointing out that she was only in the airport to change flights and didn’t have access to the bag where the drugs were found.
Putin met with Issachar’s mother, Yaffa, while on a recent trip to Israel. Yaffa Issachar said that Putin had “promised” to release her daughter from prison and lauded him for following through on the move.
“This is the moment I waited for almost a year. Right now, all I want is to hug my daughter Naama,” she said after hearing the news. She also thanked both Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for helping secure Naama Issachar’s release.
