Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday to pardon Naama Issachar, The Israeli girl who was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for possession of a small amount of marijuana, the Kremlin published in a statement moments ago. There is speculation that she is expected to fly home to Israel with PM Netanyahu when he visits Russia on Thursday. Meanwhile, Naama’s mother, Yaffa Issachar, earlier today revealed the details of her conversation with Putin last week in Jerusalem on his visit to Israel for the World Holocaust Forum and ceremony for the victims of the Siege of Leningrad. In a social media post she wrote “I told Putin that my daughter Naama is full of light, goodness and values and I miss her so much and I dream about the day that I can hug her,” Yaffa said. “She was on the way to Israel to establish a family and she was arrested.” “I told Putin: ‘I’m pleading with you and requesting and praying to please sent her home to her family who is waiting for her.’ We sat down and he said: ‘I see that she’s from a good family. The dogs picked up the scent and you know that that’s the law by us. But I know that the court took a hard line with her. I’ll return her so she can build a family like she wanted and everything will be good.’” Issachar also thanked Putin for his role in protecting the Jewish community in Russia, saying that she became aware of this through the Chabad community in Moscow. “‘I told him: ‘What comforts me is that you’re a friend of Israel. I learned something very important from the Chabad community here – who respect you very much – because it is due to you that there’s no racism and anti-Semitism and they can live as Jews in Moscow.’” Issachar added that Putin was surprised by what she said. “His eyes got big.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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