‘Treated Differently’ – Family Hopes US Teacher Held by Russia Will Be Exchanged


Ukraine – Kyiv Post, June 11, 2025

A Ukrainian who was held with 73-year-old Stephen Hubbard told AFP last year that the American was tortured in custody.
The family of a 73-year-old American held in a Russian prison, Stephen Hubbard, are hoping he will be included in a potential prisoner swap, his New York-based lawyer told AFP Tuesday. 

Hubbard, a retired English teacher, was taken captive by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Izium at the start of its 2022 offensive and sentenced to almost seven years in prison, accused of acting as a “mercenary” for Kyiv. He denies the charges. 

A Ukrainian who was held with Hubbard told AFP last year that the American was tortured in custody.
His lawyer Martin De Luca told AFP that Hubbard’s family were able to hold a brief call with him and locate him, in the Russian region of Mordovia, known for its harsh prisons.

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