Russian courtroom jails US citizen Stephen James Hubbard for almost seven years on Ukraine mercenary cost

A Russian courtroom on Monday sentenced 72-year-old American citizen Stephen James Hubbard to 6 years and 10 months in jail after convicting him in a closed-door trial of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine, a Reuters reporter within the courtroom mentioned.

Investigators mentioned Hubbard, a local of Michigan, was paid $1,000 per 30 days to serve in a Ukrainian territorial protection unit within the jap metropolis of Izyum, the place he had been residing since 2014.

The RIA state information company quoted the prosecutor as saying final month that Hubbard was detained by Russian troopers on April 2, 2022, simply weeks after Moscow despatched 1000’s of troops into Ukraine.

Russian state media mentioned Hubbard had pleaded responsible to the cost.

However in interviews final month, Hubbard’s sister and one other relative forged doubt on his reported confession, telling Reuters he held pro-Russian views and was unlikely to have taken up arms at his age.

“He’s so non-military,” his sister Patricia Hubbard Fox advised Reuters by telephone final month. “He by no means had a gun, owned a gun, completed any of that…He’s extra of a pacifist.”

Reuters was unable to substantiate how Hubbard was detained.

His lawyer couldn’t instantly be reached.

The Ukrainian International Affairs Ministry has not replied to a number of messages looking for remark.

A spokesperson for the US embassy in Moscow has mentioned it was conscious of the detention of an American citizen however declined additional remark.

Hubbard is one in all no less than 10 People behind bars in Russia, almost two months after a prisoner swap on Aug. 1 between Moscow and the West freed three People and dozens of others.