The Biden-Harris administration is facing another international crisis involving the detention of an American citizen in Russia. Stephen James Hubbard, a 72-year-old U.S. citizen, was recently sentenced to nearly seven years in a Russian prison on charges of being a mercenary for Ukraine. The case has sparked outrage from Hubbard’s family and added pressure on the Biden administration, which has had to navigate similar situations before with high-profile prisoner swaps.
According to Russian authorities, Hubbard was detained in 2022, and they claim he has pleaded guilty to being a mercenary who fought for Ukrainian forces during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. However, Hubbard’s family vehemently denies the mercenary allegations, calling them false, and accusing the Russian government of manufacturing charges.
Hubbard was sentenced on Monday in a Moscow courtroom to six years and ten months in prison. Russian prosecutors claimed that Hubbard had been working for a Ukrainian territorial defense unit in Izyum, a city in eastern Ukraine, since 2014. They allege that he received about $1,000 per month from the Ukrainians, in addition to military training, weapons, and ammunition to fight on their behalf.
According to reports, Hubbard was detained by Russian forces in April 2022, just two months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the details of his arrest remain unclear, with conflicting stories between Russian authorities and Hubbard’s family.
The Kremlin’s narrative portrays Hubbard as a mercenary for Ukraine, willing to take up arms against Russia. But these allegations are strongly disputed by Hubbard’s relatives, particularly his sister, Trisha Hubbard Fox, who contends that her brother is a pacifist, too old to be involved in fighting, and someone who held pro-Russian views.
Hubbard’s sister, Trisha Hubbard Fox, has publicly stated that her brother could not have been involved in any mercenary activities, emphasizing that he is not the person the Russian government claims he is. She described her brother as a pacifist who has never owned a firearm, making it implausible that he would have fought for Ukraine.
In recent interviews, Fox shared that Hubbard had lived abroad for many years, becoming estranged from much of his family. He eventually settled in Izyum, Ukraine, where he lived with a local woman. His sister further revealed that Hubbard survived on a modest pension of $300 a month and had few connections in Ukraine, as he spoke neither Russian nor Ukrainian. The family insists that he was an English teacher living in various foreign countries, and that he had no involvement in Ukraine’s defense forces.
“RUSSIA’s prosecutor is LYING!!! Steve was never a mercenary. He was an English teacher teaching English in foreign countries!” Fox posted on social media last month in defense of her brother. The family’s account paints a very different picture from the narrative presented by Russian authorities.
As the situation escalates, the Biden administration has come under scrutiny for its response to Hubbard’s imprisonment. During a press briefing earlier this week, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller addressed the case, though without specifically mentioning Hubbard’s name. Miller expressed frustration over Russia’s refusal to grant U.S. officials consular access to Hubbard, a fundamental right for detained foreign nationals.
“So I have limited — we have limited information available about this case because Russia has refused to grant consular access,” Miller explained. He emphasized that the individual in question, referring to Hubbard, is 72 years old and had been held in prison for two years. “Russia should grant consular access to him for the United States, as they should any time they detain an American citizen. And we are looking at the case very closely in considering our next steps.”
Pressed on why Russia has refused to allow consular access, Miller responded that the Russians have simply “refused” without providing a legitimate explanation. He reiterated the U.S. government’s disappointment, stressing that consular access is a legal obligation under international law, and that the administration would continue pressing for it.
The refusal to grant consular access has limited the Biden administration’s ability to gather accurate information about Hubbard’s case, deepening concerns about his well-being and the legitimacy of the charges against him. During the press briefing, reporters questioned whether Russia had given any reason for the refusal, such as disputing Hubbard’s U.S. citizenship. Miller responded haltingly, affirming that there was “no dispute of his American citizenship,” but offering little further clarity.
This lack of information has put the Biden-Harris administration in a difficult position, especially given the high-stakes nature of previous U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps. President Biden has previously facilitated the release of wrongfully detained Americans through controversial deals that freed Russian nationals convicted of crimes. The current administration will now have to decide whether it will pursue similar diplomatic maneuvers in Hubbard’s case.
Hubbard’s case adds yet another layer of complexity to the tense relations between the United States and Russia, as well as ongoing geopolitical conflicts surrounding the war in Ukraine. With his family firmly rejecting the Russian government’s claims, and the U.S. government still pushing for consular access, the future remains uncertain.
While President Biden has emphasized his administration’s efforts to bring wrongfully detained Americans home, the path forward for Stephen Hubbard will likely depend on diplomatic negotiations and further investigation into the legitimacy of the charges against him. Meanwhile, Hubbard remains imprisoned, caught in the crossfire of international politics.