The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that it was "dismayed" by the indictment from the U.S. government of Maria Butina as being a foreign agent, slamming the charges "a political put-up job."
"We are dismayed by the reported arrest of Russian citizen Maria Butina in the U.S. on July 15," the ministry said on Twitter:
"It looks as if the FBI, instead of carrying out their responsibility of fighting crime, is implementing a political put-up job set to it by forces that are whipping up anti-Russia hysteria in the U.S.," the ministry said in a second post:
Butina, 29, was charged in a criminal complaint Monday with conspiracy to take actions on behalf of the Russian government.
In addition, a federal grand jury indicted her Tuesday on the more serious charge of acting as an agent of the Russian government, which carries a maximum 10-year prison term.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Butina, who studied at American University in Washington, was arrested Sunday and was scheduled to appear Wednesday at the federal courthouse in the District.
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