Media

Recently jailed Maria Butina rewarded with new show on Russia Today

by Joe Concha - 12/17/19 12:43 PM ET

Maria Butina, a Russian woman recently released from jail in the U.S. for conspiracy to act as an agent for a foreign state, will be the host of an online program for Russia Today, according to the Russian state-owned network in a Tuesday announcement.

Butina, 31, was deported to Russia in October after completing more than 15 months of her 18-month sentence in a Florida prison.

Judge Tanya Chutkan concluded that Butina has carried out a “sophisticated operation” that had “penetrated deep into political organizations,” including the National Rifle Association.

In September, Russia Today was ordered to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent. As a result, all content seen on the channel would be labeled as propaganda from Moscow.

“The war the U.S establishment wages with our journalists is dedicated to all the starry-eyed idealists who still believe in freedom of speech. Those who invented it, have buried it,” said Margarita Simonyan, RT’s editor-in-chief, about the registration on Sept. 12.

Butina wore a T-shirt in a promotional video for the show that read “foreign agent” that aired Tuesday.

“Well, I’m home now,” Butina says with a smile on the video.

The program will be called “Wonderful Russia Bu Bu Bu,” which is designed to echo and mock a similar slogan by Alexei Navalny, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny often speaks of the “Wonderful Russia of the future” that he says will only exist when Putin is out of office.

Tags Maria Butina Vladimir Putin