Stephen James Hubbard left America after decades ago, first in Japan, then Cyprus and ultimately Ukraine. He did not like the government – any government, in fact.
He was Wander, growing in a small town of Michigan and walked on earth before the city of Ukrela in Ukhium where the Russians were attacked on February 24, 2022.
Mr Hubbard, a retired English teacher who turns 73 on Thursday, has become a unpleasant Pawn of overseas. Russians arrested him soon after attacking and accused him of fighting for Ukraine. They have moved him at least five parts of Russia’s arrest before leaving him in court for a mercenary.
In October, the Moscow Court sentenced him and sentenced him to seven years in the penalty colony.
His case is dwellingly under radar. But last month, the department of state department said Mr Hubbard was unjustly imprisoned “- he raised his case and showed that the United States believed that the charges were built.
The department’s department spokesman said that he should not be taken away or moved to the Russian prison.
Mr. Mr Hubbard’s sister and three formerly Ukrainian prisoners of Ukraine were held by Mr Hubbard, who fought for Ukraine. The former prisoners claim that they believe that he will die if he is not free. They concluded that he endured the same abuses made: they were beaten, burning the dogs, forced to stand all day, every day, even rebelliously broken for more than a month.
“They hit our ankles and force us into cracking, draw ligaments in the process,” said Ihor Shyshko, 41, who had joined cell and Mr Hubbard. “Many men are injured, certainly permanently. Conditions were over personality.
“This thing happened to Stephen, but it was very bad to him because he was an American,” added Mr. Shyshako, delivered to the exchange part of the previous summer. “They gathered, they cried to the hall: ‘We know you are an American. He is dead here!'”
The United States blames Russians by climbing and developed criminal cases against the Americas so they can be sold Russians into another area or other negotiations. After exchanging a large prisoner in August, Mr Hubbard is one of 13 Americans now known to be held in Russian prisons. Mr. Hubbard is a very old age. He is the only American known to be arrested in Russia after being taken from Ukraine.
Only one of Americans now was made in public detained as improperly arrested in Russia.
Mr. Hubbard family could not find his prison. The Russian judge has removed his file case, including basic information such as his lawyer’s name, in public viewing. The New York Times too couldn’t find it.
The US ambassador Moscow did not see Mr Hubbard, despite the Russian obligation to obtain access, said state department spokesman. The ambassadors said it would not comment on his case due to confidential concern.
Mr Shyshko said he tried to ask an American ambassador in Kyiv to get help, but he couldn’t pass the front door.
Patricia Hubbard Fox, 71, Mar. Hubbard only.
Quiet life
Mr Hubbard always was a man alone. He loved his privacy. He did not like the email and social media. He blamed the public organizations that could meet in the Internet and that government spent taxes from them.
He and his sister grew up in Big Rapids, the smallest Michigan town. Their single mother sometimes abuse them. “We have grown at the end of the bull,” Mrs. Hubbard Fox.
As an adult, Mr Hubbard was always visiting: She enrolled in the Bible college in Tulsa, Okla., But last year. He married as a child, 20.
Mr Hubbard was registered in the AIir army, but traveled after three working work and two in the National Guard, especially in Sacramento, records. He has worked as an education assistant and the Department of Labor Works and learned from the nearest business college. His marriage fell and Mr Hubld’s wife had three children.
Mr Hubbard arrived in Seattle, where he had a Master graduates in English and met a Japanese woman who became his second wife, Ms Hubbard Fox said.
In the mid-1980s, the couple moved to Japan when Mr Hubbard taught English and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. The couple has a son before dividing. After his son grew up, Mr. Hubbard moved to Cyprus, where the son lived in his first wedding where he fell in love with another woman, Inna. He was Ukraine.
In 2014, they moved to the UmMwoman. When he needed money, he told his sister, taught English English online. He was speaking no Ukraine, no Russian.
Ms. Hubbard Fox said the last time he spoke his brother at Skype in Skype in September 2021, as he sat down to eat some porridge.
It is not clear whether the couple divorced no matter when he was on vacation. But when the Russians invaded February 2022, Mr Hubbard was alone.
A few weeks later, Russians captured the stum. The next day, on April 2, 2022, Mr Hubbard was arrested, Ria Novosti Noving State News Agency reported later.
Circumstances cut off. Russian authorities say Mr. Hubbard enrolled so the February – Moon and revived 70 – Finding a distribution unit to protect training, received training, coins, characters, $ 1,000. They said he was arrested while the manning of the military.
That is impossible, says alonbani, a civil slave in the ram. He said the country’s safety unit had a few weapons. No one was paid. He added: “No older men there,” add.
Mr Shyshko remembered that Mr Hubbard said he was arrested at the testing site while he fled.
“He wanted to go out there, but he couldn’t,” Mr. Shyshko.
‘You’re All America’
Mr Hubbard’s first campaign was five kilometers over the Russian border. Andrii Stratulat, another prisoner of war, said Russians gave Mr. Hubbard two English books: “The egg and me,” The 1945 Mediom of a wooden farm, and “the 2002 veil with a young girl from his rape and his murder. And read them again and again.
Mr Stratulat, who spoke English, was placed in Mr Hubbard’s tent in June 2022.
“He said that day he began to smile,” recalls Mr stratulat, 30.
They spent 42 days together, Mr stratulat said. Mr Hubbard spoke about his life: the trip took it to Grand Canyon. His baptism in the Mpumalanga Toma. His Japanese wife, you’re standing. Their son, Herash. Her partner, Inna.
Finding all his arrest, Mr Stratulat would have these words again: Herash. The sumi. The Inna. When he was released, he wanted to tell someone about America he had met.
At the end of July 2022, Mr Hubbard was transferred, Mr Stratulat remembers.
A special Ukrainian special official with the Call Sport of Hacker We met Mr. Hubbard in Belkol prison in Belgorod, about kilometers in the North Mast east of the arrest, at the beginning of September. After interrogations that were similar to abuse, Hacker said in custody and Mr Hubbard, who gave him water to pray.
“For the first time someone, the old man, a wise boy, prayed for me,” said Hacker, 33, the Times pointed his military sign because the Russia was refused.
Hacker said he met Mr Hubbard and a month later in the Thozyblov Prison. For two months, they were kept in nearby cells. Hacker recalled: “I heard everything happened to him.
Mr Hubbard has problems with his kidneys, the belly and the point, said Hacker. You will give. Russian guards hit her and forced her to read the words of Russia, Russian poets, a national Song of Russia.
“Soldiers, guards, and special forces consider him Archenemy,” Hacker said. “Because Stephen, you are an American. He is the American Spect. He is the American of Michigan. He is all around.”
Because Russian officials disclose that no information about Mr Hubbard, former prisoners’ accounts is impossible to ensure. But they matched each other along with some of the Ukrainian army prisoners.
In 2023, Mr Hubbard was moved to the Pakino prison, about 170 miles in eastern Moscow, where cell and Mr Shysho and 13 other people were married.
There, prisoners were interrogated, tortured, crazy, beaten and burned, and Mr. shot. Shyshko.
After the Russians received imprisoned scabies, they were all taken away and taken to the cold basement, where they were forced to leave the slilles wearing only a month and month, Mhyshko said.
Mr. Shysko said the doctor told him that “Scabies Mite can’t produce cold, you will die with you. ‘”
Lunch were often boiled with a few leaves in Khabbish; Food, left from Russian prisoners, combined together. Mr. Shyshko’s weight has dropped below 130 pounds from about 240.
“However, Stephen did not give up,” Mr Shyshko said. “He kept telling: ‘These are not man. Don’t lose hope.’ He got up to them and encouraged us to hold fast.”
One day, Mr Hubbard said he thought his sister might have been looking for him.
The prison sentence
Ms. Hubbard Fox is worried about his brother when the war begins. But he couldn’t reach him. Finally, he found that the Russians had: He saw a conversation with Russia’s TV when he spoke Russian speaking points – in another video, where the guards hit Mr Hubbard with the cause.
He said he tried to speak to the United States, but received little help. And he was not sure who should call.
In the mid May 2024, Mr Hubbard disappeared from the Parkinarian prison and later charged in Moscow. In a case, before the judge closed the trial in court, Ria Novosti reported that Mr Hubbard pleaded guilty to kindness, “yes, I agree with the amazing.”
At the beginning of October, Mr. Hubbard – a bundle, hair and beard are molded, and his glasses are gone – sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison.
Ms. Hubbard Fox said he hoped that Trump Trump could face Russians. “He is a man, and they know he will not be tolerated their crap,” said Ms. Hubbard Fox.
He said to see his brother, beaten in Sodus reminded that he saw Him a victim. He arranges to sell his home in Colorado and buy one in Oklahoma, so his brother can stay with him when he went out.
“I love my home, but my brother loosed everything,” he said. “So I did this. I’ll give her a home.”
The Nbako, Elo offered reporting from Tokyo. Yuri Shibhisi, Yuri Shyva and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn offered reporting from Kyaiv, Ukraine, and Shawn-Shawn from Sacramento. Susan Beachy offered research.