Michigan Teacher Freed After 2024 Russian Mercenary Conviction
Retiree Stephen Hubbard was serving a nearly seven-year sentence before U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed his release.
A Michigan retiree convicted by a Russian court of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine has been released from custody, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff announced.
Stephen Hubbard, a former teacher, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison in 2024. His release follows months of diplomatic maneuvering over Americans detained in Russia on charges tied to the conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow has increasingly used espionage and mercenary statutes against foreign nationals since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These detentions frequently become leverage in broader negotiations between Washington and the Kremlin.
The most prominent precedent occurred in August 2024, when Russia and the United States completed a multinational prisoner swap involving 24 people. That exchange secured the freedom of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, both of whom had been held in Russian penal colonies for extended periods.
Hubbard’s case differed from those high-profile swaps. He was not a journalist or active-duty military personnel but a civilian retiree who traveled to the region and was subsequently charged under Russian laws criminalizing mercenary activity. His nearly seven-year sentence reflected the strict penalties Moscow applies to foreigners accused of participating in hostilities against Russian forces.
Witkoff, who has been involved in efforts to resolve cases of Americans held abroad, confirmed the release. The Associated Press contributed to the report on Hubbard’s freedom.
