Extraditing Russian hacker to U.S. will 'complicate situation' says lawyer of jailed Israeli
Naama Issachar's attorneys officially appeal the 7.5 year prison term and warn Israel against extraditing the Russian national suspected of cyber offences against the Americans
Naama Issachar, 26, was arrested on April 9 while in transit in a Moscow airport, en route from India to Israel, and accused of carrying 9 grams of cannabis, her family said. Russian authorities charged her with drug smuggling.
"The extradition procedure will complicate our situation,” said Alexandra Teitz.
Sources told Ynet on Monday that Justice Minister Amir Ohana is expected to sign off on the extradition request for Alexei Burkov, a Russian national detained by Israel during a 2015 visit. Israel says he is wanted by the United States for suspected cyber offences.
The mother of the 26-year-old woman, Yafa, said on Monday “it doesn't make sense” for Israel to extradite the hacker while Russia holds her daughter as a “bargaining chip.”
“I don't think that's going to happen, I want to believe it won't."
In the meantime, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday will officially ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to grant clemency to Issachar. This will be Israel's second clemency request after President Reuven Rivlin appealed to the Russian leader on Friday.
Issachar’s lawyers on Monday officially appealed the sentence.
