U.S.-Israeli woman jailed in Russia seeks pardon: Interfax

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Naama Issachar, a U.S.-Israeli woman jailed in Russia on drug charges, has asked for a pardon, Interfax news agency reported, citing a statement by her lawyers.

Israel has called on Russia to release Issachar, who was sentenced by a Russian court to seven-and-a-half years in jail for drug offences in October.

The Kremlin said earlier that it was impossible for Issachar to be granted a presidential pardon without her first formally requesting one.

(Reporting by Andrey Kuzmin; Editing by William Maclean)