Russia releases American Stephen Hubbard, held since 2022
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sowetan
Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American held since 2022 and convicted of mercenary activity, Vladimir Putin announced. The retiree was at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg after Washington designated him as wrongfully detained, according to Reuters and Russian state media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American who had been held in Russia since 2022. He said the former teacher was at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff, Reuters reports.
Hubbard was serving a nearly seven-year prison sentence for mercenary activity, after being convicted in a closed-door trial. He was arrested in April 2022 in Izium, in eastern Ukraine. Russian prosecutors accused him of manning a Ukrainian military checkpoint.
Russian state media reported that he had pleaded guilty. His US lawyer, Martin De Luca, had previously told Reuters that Hubbard said the charges were false and that he had not belonged to any military or combat unit. At the time of his release, Hubbard was the only US detainee in Russia whom Washington had designated as wrongfully detained.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
