Freed US citizen Stephen Hubbard tortured in Russian jail
Former Ukrainian prisoners reveal 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard was beaten and abused during his four-and-a-half-year Russian detention.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Seventy-four-year-old American Stephen Hubbard faced severe torture in Russian prisons.
- Ukrainian cellmates witnessed him being beaten, humiliated, and forced to sing the anthem.
- His release followed a direct request from US President Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin.
- Hubbard was originally captured in April 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum.
Ukrainians who were detained alongside freed American prisoner Stephen Hubbard have revealed that they witnessed the 74-year-old being beaten, humiliated, and abused by Russian guards during his four-year imprisonment.
Dmytro Khyliuk and Ihor Shyshko first met Hubbard at the Novozybkov prison in Bryansk near the Ukrainian border in September 2022, noting that his American nationality immediately made him a target for constant harassment.
Shyshko recounted that Hubbard was forced to learn the Russian language, sing the national anthem, and memorize prison rules he could not read. He also alleged that Hubbard suffered beatings, stun gun shocks, and sexual abuse for the entertainment of the staff.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Hubbard, a retired English teacher, was captured in April 2022 while living with his Ukrainian partner in Izyum. He was accused of serving in Ukraine's armed forces and sentenced to nearly seven years by a Moscow court following a trial.
"Russian captivity is a torture machine. From the first second of your detention, they do everything to suppress you, to intimidate you. This is torture in all its manifestations."
Dmytro Khyliuk
The detainees were later transferred to the Pakino prison, where Shyshko stated Hubbard's physical condition deteriorated further, leaving his feet and knees covered in rot due to harsh living conditions, meager meals, and daily physical abuse.
The detention and subsequent release of foreign nationals in Russia often intersect with high-stakes international diplomacy. Hubbard's freedom, secured on the day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin, highlights the complex political maneuvering behind prisoner releases during ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
Hubbard was finally released this week after Donald Trump requested his freedom during a phone call with Putin. Meanwhile, the former Ukrainian prisoners who survived the ordeal expressed hope that their tormentors will eventually face international justice.
Source: BBC World
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