72-Year-Old American Stephen Hubbard Sentenced to Prison in Russia

Moscow — On Monday, a Russian court sentenced a 72-year-old U.S. citizen, accused of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine during Russia’s ongoing invasion, to nearly seven years in prison. Judge Alexandra Kovalevskaya of the Moscow City Court handed down the sentence of six years and ten months to the defendant, identified by the media as Stephen Hubbard. The elderly man struggled to stand as the sentence was pronounced.

He was found guilty of “participating as a mercenary in the armed conflict” following a brief trial, which was largely held behind closed doors.

This sentence takes into account that Hubbard has been in custody since April 2, 2022.

Hubbard’s case was made public on September 27, coinciding with the start of his trial in Moscow. Russia has not disclosed the location of his detention.

In a hearing last week, Hubbard appeared to be in poor health, walking slowly and dragging his feet. The court ordered that the trial proceed in secret, at the request of the prosecution.

According to Russian news agencies, the defendant pleaded guilty.

What We Know About Stephen Hubbard’s Detention

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported that Hubbard had been living in the Ukrainian city of Izyum in the northeastern Kharkiv region since 2014. The city, with a population of 45,000, fell under Russian control shortly after the invasion began, but was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in September 2022 during a swift counteroffensive.

Russian authorities have not provided any details regarding the circumstances of Hubbard’s arrest.

Prosecutors claimed that Hubbard was paid at least $1,000 per month to join a Ukrainian territorial defense unit. They stated that he underwent training, received a combat uniform, and “participated in the armed conflict” in Ukraine.

A video posted on pro-Russian YouTube channels in May 2022, during the Russian occupation of Izyum, featured a man identifying himself as Stephen James Hubbard. He stated that he was born in Big Rapids, Michigan, and had been living in Ukraine since 2014.

In the video, he appeared disheveled, with a long beard and unkempt nails.

Russia’s Recent History of Jailing Americans

On the same day, another U.S. citizen, Robert Gilman, was convicted by the same Moscow court and sentenced to seven years and one month in a strict-regime penal colony. He was found guilty of assaulting prison staff and a criminal investigator, according to Russian news agencies.

Gilman had already been serving a sentence for attacking a police officer while intoxicated in the western city of Voronezh. His initial four-year and six-month sentence was later reduced to three and a half years on appeal.

While incarcerated, he reportedly assaulted prison staff twice and attacked a criminal investigator.

In recent years, Russia has detained numerous Westerners on various charges, ranging from espionage to minor theft. Some of these cases are related to Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine. This includes Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen arrested while visiting family in Russia, who faced a 12-year sentence for donating about $50 to a Ukrainian organization.

Recently, Russia tried several U.S. citizens, and a significant prisoner exchange occurred over the summer. This exchange resulted in the release of two high-profile detainees: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, in exchange for several Russians incarcerated in the United States and other nations, many of whom had connections to Russian intelligence.

A prior exchange during the Cold War period saw Russia release WNBA star Brittney Griner in return for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022.

Additionally, two Colombian citizens are currently held in Russia on charges related to serving as “mercenaries” for Ukraine.