MOSCOW (AP) – Russian prosecutors have sought a seven-year prison sentence in the trial of an American accused of fighting Russia as a mercenary in Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported Saturday.
Prosecutors asked the court to take into account the age of 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard and said he had admitted the crime, Interfax news agency reported. They called for Hubbard to serve his sentence in a high-security penal colony.
In Russia, participating in mercenary activities is a criminal offense, punishable by a prison sentence of 7 to 15 years.
Prosecutors have accused Mr. Hubbard of signing a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia sent troops to the country in February 2022, in which Mr. Hubbard was to receive at least $1,000. be done.
He reportedly received training, received a personal gun, and fought in the Ukrainian army as a mercenary until April 2022, when he was captured by the Russian military.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow told The Associated Press it was “aware of reports of the arrest of an American national” but could not comment further “due to privacy restrictions.”
Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal if they believe the sentence is too lenient.
The number of arrests of Americans in Russia has increased in recent years. There are growing concerns that Russia could target Americans for arrest and use them as bargaining chips in negotiations to bring back Russians convicted in the United States and Europe.
In August, the United States and Russia completed the largest prisoner exchange in post-Soviet history. The deal involved 24 participants, months of negotiations and concessions from other European countries, which released detained Russians as part of the exchange. Several Americans remain behind bars in Russia after the exchange.
