Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu submitted an official request on behalf of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking that he issue a pardon to Israeli Naama Issachar and to allow her to return to Israel.

The request was submitted on Tuesday evening just a few days after Isaachar’s official sentence was handed down in a Russian court. Issachar was arrested at the Moscow airport for carrying 9.5 grams of cannabis and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.

Kremlin spokesman�Dmitry Peskov�announced on the local RT�news station Monday night that Putin would consider pardoning Issachar when he received an official request from Netanyahu.

Naama’s mother Yaffa told reporters: “I am very happy. This is another beacon of hope for me and for Naama. I am truly thankful to the President and to the Prime Minister for their efforts. I want to write a letter to Vladimir Putin from myself and from Naama. The entire country is awaiting her return. We are all asking for her release.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)