The Times of Israel reports: Hundreds of people attended a protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, calling for the release of an Israeli woman imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, as a simultaneous rally was held in New York outside the Russian consulate.

Naama Issachar, 26, was sentenced last week to seven-and-a-half years in prison by a Russian court for alleged drug smuggling. She has been detained in Russia since April when some 10 grams of marijuana were found in her bag during a stopover in Moscow while flying to Israel from India.

“We are excited about the support and solidarity that people are showing,” Issachar’s friend Tzlil told Channel 12 news. “If Naama saw this she would be very angry with us, because she is a very shy person — you can see it with her smile. But we do what is necessary. This event must not be removed from consciousness — the people of Israel know how to make noise when it is needed, when there is harm to human life and injustice.”

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