A 72-year-old American man was sentenced by a Russian court to almost seven years in prison during a closed trial on Monday for allegedly fighting in Ukraine as a mercenary.
According to The Associated Press, Russian prosecutors claimed that 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard signed a contract with Ukraine’s military after Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022 and fought as a mercenary alongside the Ukrainian military until he was captured two months later.
The 72-year-old was sentenced to a general-security prison for six years and 10 months. According to The Associated Press, Hubbard is the first known U.S. citizen to be convicted as a mercenary in Ukraine. The Associated Press reported that while the charges against the 72-year-old American could have resulted in a prison sentence of 15 years, Russian prosecutors asked the court to allow his age and his reported admission of guilt to be factored into Monday’s ruling.
During a U.S. State Department press briefing on Monday, Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, told reporters, “We have limited information available about this case because Russia has refused to grant consular access.”
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Miller added, “The individual is 72 years old, [and] has been held in prison for two years. He was arrested in Ukraine, not in Russia. Russia should grant consular access to him for the United States, as they should any time they detain an American citizen. And we are looking at the case very closely in considering our next steps.”
Miller explained that the State Department was “disappointed” that Russia had refused to grant Hubbard consular access. He added, “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.”
In addition to the announcement of Hubbard’s sentence on Monday, a Russian court in Voronezh sentenced Robert Gilman, another U.S. citizen, to seven years and one month in prison for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers during his previous prison sentence, according to The Associated Press.
Russian news reports obtained by The Associated Press indicate that Gilman was previously arrested for causing a disturbance while intoxicated in 2022 and for assaulting a law enforcement officer while in custody. RIA-Novosti, a Russian state news agency, reported that Gilman later assaulted a prison inspector and hit an Investigative Committee official.
The Associated Press reported that American citizens have faced increased arrests in Russia over the past several years, leading to concerns that Russia could be targeting U.S. citizens to gain potential bargaining power.
