This photo was released by the Moscow City Court Press Service. Stephen Hubbard is a U.S. Citizen accused of fighting in Ukraine as a mercenary against Russia. He stands in a cage during a session at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia on Monday, October 7, 2024. (Moscow City Court Press Service, via AP).
This photo was released by the Moscow City Court Press Service. Stephen Hubbard is a U.S. Citizen accused of fighting in Ukraine as a mercenary against Russia. He sits in a cage during a session at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia on Monday, October 7, 2024. (Moscow City Court Press Service, via AP).
MOSCOW (AP)… A Russian court sentenced a 72 year old American on Monday in a closed-door trial to almost seven years in prison. The American was accused of fighting as a mercenary for the Ukrainian government.
Prosecutors claim Stephen Hubbard, who was captured two months after he signed the contract, fought alongside the Ukrainian military in February 2022 when Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
He was sentenced for six years and ten months in a prison of general security. The prosecution had asked for a seven-year sentence in a maximum security prison.
Hubbard is the first American to be convicted of charges of fighting in the Ukrainian conflict as a mercenary.
Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said that the department had limited information on this case because Russia refused to allow consular access.
Miller told Washington reporters that he was disappointed as he is often when they refuse to allow consular access. “They are required to provide it, and we will continue to press them for it.” We’re closely examining the case and determining our next steps.”
Russian news reports stated that Hubbard’s charges carried a maximum sentence of 15-years, but prosecutors requested that his age and admission of guilt be taken into consideration.
In recent years, the arrest of Americans has become more common in Russia. There is concern that Russia may be targeting U.S. citizens for arrest in order to use them as bargaining chips later in negotiations to bring back Russians convicted in the U.S. or Europe.
A court in Voronezh sentenced American Robert Gilman on Monday to seven years and a month for allegedly assaulting police officers while serving another assault sentence.
According to Russian media reports, Gilman had been arrested in 2022 after causing a disturbance on a passenger rail and assaulting a policeman while in custody. He is currently serving a 3-1/2-year sentence for that charge.
The state news agency RIA Novosti reported that he had assaulted a prison official during a cell inspection, and then struck an official of the Investigative Commission, resulting in a new sentence.
In August, the U.S. completed its largest prisoner exchange in post-Soviet History. The deal involved 24 people and many months of negotiation. Other European countries also made concessions, releasing Russians held in their custody. After the exchange, several U.S. citizens are still behind bars in Russia.
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