WASHINGTON—A U.S. judge on Sept. 10 firmly rejected a bid by accused Russian agent Maria Butina to be released from jail pending trial, calling her a “very real” flight risk, and granted a prosecution request for a gag order in the high-profile case.
“I cannot envision a scenario for Ms. Butina to be released from jail,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said during a status hearing in the case, adding that such a move simply would result in her being “placed into a car with diplomatic tags” and whisked away to an airport for a Russia-bound flight.
