Russia sentences 72-year-old American for fighting for Ukraine

Mediazona reports.

Hubbard's time in custody will be counted toward his sentence at the rate of one day in a pre-trial detention center for one and a half days in a penal colony. According to the court's decision, UAH 142,300 seized from the American will become the income of the Russian Federation.

The criminal case of Stephen Hubbard was considered in two sessions in closed session. The prosecutor's office demanded that the US citizen be sentenced to seven years in a strict regime colony. Hubbard allegedly pleaded guilty.

According to the investigation, Hubbard had been living in Ukraine since 2014. In February 2022, he joined the ranks of the territorial defense of the city of Izium, Kharkiv region, receiving about one thousand dollars as a salary. A month later, he was taken prisoner by Russia.

Hubbard's sister, Patricia Fox, told Reuters earlier that her brother worked as an English teacher in various countries, including Japan, Cyprus, and Ukraine. She doubted that Hubbard could plead guilty in court. Fox described her brother as "non-military" and "more of a pacifist" who never owned a gun and had pro-Russian views.

Representatives of the US Embassy in Moscow told Interfax that they are in the process of obtaining consular access to the convicted American. Hubbard's lawyer said he would appeal the verdict.