A 72-year-old American citizen named Stephen James Hubbard was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison by a Russian court for allegedly serving as a mercenary for Ukraine. Investigators claim he was paid to serve in a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in the city of Izyum and was detained by Russian soldiers in April 2022. Despite reports of Hubbard pleading guilty, his relatives doubt the confession, stating he held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to take up arms at his age.
During the court proceedings, Hubbard appeared in a glass cage wearing handcuffs. The judge pronounced him guilty, and his lawyer indicated an intention to appeal the verdict. It was unclear how Hubbard was detained, and the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. embassy in Moscow confirmed awareness of Hubbard’s detention but provided no further information.
Hubbard’s relatives described him as an isolated individual who moved to Ukraine in 2014, living there with minimal connections to locals and surviving on a small pension. Hubbard is one of at least 10 Americans currently imprisoned in Russia. In a separate case, a U.S. citizen named Robert Gilman was sentenced to seven years and one month for assaulting a prison official and state investigator while serving a prior conviction.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com