"Thanks to the efforts of the Russian Foreign Ministry and lawyers, the Alexandria prison administration agreed to transfer Maria to the minimum security regime. Thus, the 35-day period of the so-called administrative segregation (isolation), which seasoned criminals are usually subject to, came to an end," the embassy said in a statement published on Facebook on Friday.
"Now, Butina is allowed to take walks on fresh air, use a gym, attend rehabilitation classes, and, which is the most important thing, to have normal human communication with other people surrounding her," the embassy added.
READ MORE: Butina's Case Helped to Collect Info on Rights Abuses of Russians in US Jails
Butina, a recent student and a political activist, was arrested in Washington, DC in mid-July on suspicions of acting as an agent for a foreign government. She has denied the accusations. Butina currently faces up to 15 years in jail.