A Russian court on Monday sentenced a 72-year-old American in a closed trial to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.
Prosecutors said Stephen Hubbard signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and he fought alongside them until being captured two months later.
He was sentenced to six years and 10 months in a general-security prison.
Prosecutors had called for a sentence of seven years in a maximum-security prison.
Hubbard, from the state of Michigan, is the first American known to have been convicted on charges of fighting as a mercenary in the Ukrainian conflict.U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that it had limited information about the case as Russia has refused to grant consular access.
“We’re disappointed, as we often are, when they refuse to grant consular access,” Miller told reporters in Washington. “They have an obligation to provide it and we’re going to continue to press for it. We’re looking at the case very closely and considering our next steps.”The charges against Hubbard carried a potential sentence of 15 years, but prosecutors asked that his age be taken into account along with his admission of guilt, Russian news reports said.
Arrests of Americans have become increasingly common in Russia in recent years.
Concern has risen that Russia could be targeting U.S. nationals for arrest to use later as bargaining chips in talks to bring back Russians convicted of crimes in the U.S. and Europe.
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Let’s not forget that this guy was a volunteer, not some covert operative. But it wouldn’t surprise me if his arrest is a deliberate move by Russia to remind the U.S. who’s really calling the shots. They know the U.S. loves to parade itself as the beacon of freedom, but are we any better? We’ve got enough of our own surveillance and control at home. This is just another excuse to expand government overreach under the guise of 'national security.
@UrchinJasmineSocialism2yrs2Y
It’s troubling that Russia seems to be using Americans as bargaining chips. But it’s not as if the U.S. hasn’t done the same. It seems neither side has any moral high ground here.
The guy’s 72 years old, for crying out loud! But hey, as long as the military-industrial complex keeps profiting, who cares about some old dude rotting away in a Russian prison? The U.S. government will make a few statements, Russia will grandstand, and life goes on for the elites.
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