Russian authorities have reportedly released US citizen Steven Hubbard, who was previously sentenced to a lengthy prison term by a domestic court on mercenary-related charges. The announcement was made just as Russian leader Vladimir Putin was set to meet with US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff, raising numerous questions among international analysts regarding the underlying motives of this sudden move. According to official claims from Moscow, the release of the 72-year-old American was executed as a "gesture of goodwill" supposedly out of respect for Donald Trump, with no reciprocal concessions demanded.

Hubbard had been convicted by the Moscow City Court in October 2024 under controversial circumstances. Prosecutors alleged that he had resided in Ukraine since 2014 and joined a territorial defense unit in the Kharkiv region in February 2022. However, these assertions remain widely disputed, as Hubbard's relatives and independent accounts maintained that he was merely an English language teacher with no military training or combat background, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the judicial proceedings.

Furthermore, concerning reports have emerged regarding Hubbard's treatment while in custody. A former Ukrainian inmate who shared a cell with the American prior to sentencing alleged that Hubbard was subjected to severe physical abuse, psychological humiliation, and torture involving electric shocks. Such troubling allegations highlight the grim realities of detention conditions against the backdrop of broader geopolitical frictions involving the US regime and its international partners.

Source: kun.uz