The appeal filed with the Russian court by Israeli-American citizen Na’ama Issachar was rejected on Thursday, which means she will be serving the 7.5-year prison term sentenced on her by the lower court.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he told Yaffa Issachar, the mother of Naama Issachar, that “despite the disappointing court decision I am not giving up.”

He says he will continue to act however needed to bring her home.

Escorted by police, Na’ama arrived in the Moscow court on Thursday, hoping to have the 7.5-year prison term thrown out. She was sentenced following her conviction of carrying 9.5 grams of hashish. She told the court that she is innocent as she did not know she was carrying the hashish.

Alone, placed in a glass enclosure in the courthouse, Na’ama was not permitted to speak with her mom who was present for the hearing. “The investigator or interpreter did not explain the meaning of the offenses of which I was facing. I have never been in Russia and I was not aware of Russian criminal law or the language. You cannot expect me to understand the essence of what happened, especially since in the country I come from, this is not event a punishable offense” she told the court.

Under Russian law, in order to convict someone, it must be proven that the defendant has intent to commit a crime. Na’ama told the court this was not explained to her at any time by anyone. All the time in custody she was told “this is your suitcase in which the drugs were found, and this is a crime”.

She explained she provided an explanation of the events prior to the arrival of her attorney and the interpreter. “I stated a number of times the drugs are not mine, and I stand by the first version, that I did not know the drugs were in my bag at all. I only admitted when they found the drugs in my bag” she added.

She highlighted that she never had intention to enter into Russian territory and she did not pass through the border police crossing or customs. “I did not bring my bag into Russia. They detained me as I was headed to a connecting flight when I tried boarding that flight. I was under the erroneous impression that my case was in a gray area, but at the end, I mistakenly incriminated myself. After I spoke with my lawyer, I understood there is no gray area but only black or white and all the evidence shows I am innocent of the crimes I was convicted of” Na’ama added in her statement to the court.

Na’ama went on to add “Before boarding an Israeli flight, passengers are asked if they packed the bag themselves or if someone gave them something to bring. These questions are asked because it is common in Israeli culture to exchange certain gifts and objects between friends. These questions are not significant, but rather come to raise awareness. It wasn’t to emphasize that no one has ever asked me if the drugs are mine. More than that, I was just answering [without placing significance on the response] when I said the drugs are mine.”

ערעורה של נעמה יששכר לא התקבל – הישראלית תרצה שבע וחצי שנים בכלא הרוסי @hen_zender pic.twitter.com/RzbXxFSseI

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) December 19, 2019

Israel has made efforts towards arranging her release, but Russia has tied her plight with a United States extradition request filed with Israel, to hand over hacker Alex Burkov who is imprisoned in Israel. Russia originally told Israel that if Alex is extradited to the US, it will negatively impact Na’ama’s case.

This past Monday, Naama’s mother, Yaffa Issachar, met with the Rishon L’Tzion, Harav Yitzchak Yosef, who is currently on a visit to Moscow, an Arutz Sheva report said on Tuesday. Rav Yosef gave a bracha to Naama, expressing hope that she would be able to return to Israel in the near future. The Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rav Berel Lazar, participated in the meeting as well.

Previously, YWN reported that a Russian court has forbidden Yaffa Issachar from speaking Hebrew with her daughter Naama, who is imprisoned in a Russian jail. Naama was sentenced to 7.5 years of jail for possession of 9.5 grams of cannabis while awaiting a connecting flight in Moscow to Israel from India in April.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)