Putin Announces Release of Imprisoned US Citizen Stephen Hubbard
· World · ABC News (AU), Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of 74-year-old US citizen Stephen Hubbard during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. Hubbard, a retired schoolteacher from Michigan, was freed and arrived at Pulkovo Airport after being held in Russian custody since April 2022. He had been serving a nearly seven-year prison sentence following a closed-door trial where prosecutors alleged he fought as a mercenary in Izyum, Ukraine. His defense lawyer maintained that the charges were entirely false, though state media claimed Hubbard pleaded guilty. Hubbard was previously the sole US prisoner designated by Washington as wrongfully detained.
Why it matters
The release of the sole US-designated wrongfully detained prisoner in Russia marks a rare diplomatic gesture amid ongoing high-level negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Read the original report — ABC News (AU)
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.