Stephen Hubbard
Moscow: A Russian court has sentenced a 72-year-old American to nearly seven years in prison. The American man was fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Prosecutors said U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard signed a contract with Ukrainian forces after Russia sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022 and fought with them until his capture two months later. Now Hubbard has been sentenced to six years and 10 months in a normal-security prison. The prosecution had sought a sentence of seven years in a maximum security prison.
Know what America’s stance was
Hubbard, a native of Michigan, is the first American to be convicted of fighting as a mercenary in the Ukrainian conflict. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he had limited information about the case because Russia has declined embassy assistance. “We are disappointed, as we often are, when they refuse embassy help. They have an obligation to provide that help and we will continue to press for it,” Miller told reporters in Washington. “We are watching closely and considering our next steps.”
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The charges against Stephen Hubbard could have brought him up to 15 years in prison, according to Russian news reports, but prosecutors asked that his age be taken into account along with his crime. (AP)
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