A model from Belarus who was arrested during a “sex training seminar” in Thailand and then claimed to have evidence of Russian interference in US President Donald Trump’s election campaign was deported yesterday.
Anastasia Vashukevich, two other Belarussians and five Russians were being sent to their home countries two days after they pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy and soliciting, Thai authorities said.
The 27-year-old drew the world’s attention in February last year, when she said that she had hours of audio recordings that could shed light on links between Russian officials and Trump’s election in 2016.
She offered to release the recordings in exchange for asylum in the US, but never produced evidence to substantiate her claim and later said that she had no plans to release anything.
Thai Immigration Bureau Commissioner Surachate Hakparn yesterday told reporters that all eight deportees were willing to return to their home countries.
The deportations were being coordinated with Belarus and Russia, he said.
Vashukevich made no comment at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Last year, she had said that she feared that she would be sent to Russia.
Self-proclaimed “sex guru” Alexander Kirillov, 38, a fellow Belarussian who was among the group of deportees, told reporters that the group had been seeking deportation since March last year.
“If you have been to a Thai prison, you are not afraid of anything,” he said.
They were arrested at the beach resort of Pattaya during a seminar on seduction techniques.
Vashukevich, who is also known as Nastya Rybka, said that she had recordings of conversations on interference in the US presidential election through an association with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
However, Deripaska’s representatives have accused her of fabrication and said that she was never his mistress.
Deripaska is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and is a one-time associate of Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.
US intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow sought to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election to boost Trump’s chances of winning.
Russia has denied meddling and Trump has said no collusion took place.
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