This content was formerly published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
A Moscow judge did hand down its conviction and sentence on October 7 in the case of Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old U. S. member, who is accused of fighting against Soviet forces in Ukraine.
After the closed conference on October 3rd, Judge Aleksandra Kovalevskaya of the Moscow City Court announced the date.
Hubbard, who has officially pleaded guilty to the cost and may face up to 15 years in prison, appeared in court walking quietly, wearing a black helmet and grey jacket, according to an AFP blogger.
The prosecution’s finished character follows a trial request, which the protection did not contest. U. S. Embassy officers and reporters were asked to leave the trials.
Russian prosecutors allege that Hubbard fought for Ukraine’s territorial defence in Izyum, signing a lease for$ 1, 000 per month. On April 2, 2022, Russian troops detained him.
Hubbard admitted guilt to the allegations, which his home has questioned, according to a report from the Russian state news agency RIA earlier this month.
They claim he supported Russia and opposed the country in the past.
His girlfriend confirmed that he has resided in Ukraine since 2014. The U. S. Embassy in Moscow has never commented on the situation according to “privacy issues”.
Hubbard’s test has attracted interest due to worries over the targeting of U. S. people in Russia, with some questioning the accuracy of the costs.
His community, especially his sister Patricia Fox, claims Hubbard had long been a fan of Russia and moved to Ukraine in 2014, adding that she had been there for a long time.
After separating with his Russian girl, Hubbard lived in the northeast Ukrainian city of Izyum and was present when the conflict broke out. Hubbard was seen making comments on the battle in a film that was made available in May 2022, according to Fox.
He claimed in the picture that he had witnessed Russian forces shelling Izyum for “propaganda reasons” and expressed sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
The circumstances surrounding the creation of the film raise questions about Hubbard’s involvement in making the statements.
His past preliminary restrictions have not been disclosed, and authorities in Russia have not provided any information about Hubbard’s imprisonment or how he ended up in Moscow.
In a pattern, U.S. citizens have been detained in Russia on what some perceive as politically determined charges. Hubbard’s trial is one such example.
Moscow has been accused of using these prosecutions to utilize prisoner transfers with the United States and other European nations.
After a slave switch on August 1 involving 16 individuals that Moscow agreed to free in exchange for eight Russians convicted of crimes and serving jail sentences in the United States and Europe, at least 10 Americans, including Hubbard, are still imprisoned in Russia.
U. S. people, including RFE/RL blogger Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal columnist Evan Gershkovich, and past U. S. Marine Paul Whelan, were released as part of the slave trade.
As the tensions between the two nations continue to grow, the results of Hubbard’s test will likely be closely watched by both the US and Russia.
