this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2024
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A Russian court on Monday sentenced a 72-year-old American in a closed trial to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.

Prosecutors said Stephen Hubbard signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and he fought alongside them until being captured two months later.

He was sentenced to six years and 10 months in a general-security prison. Prosecutors had called for a sentence of seven years in a maximum-security prison.

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I wish the article went into some detail about how the hell a 72-year-old fought in a war. I know people can be in good shape at that age, but I wouldn't think they'd be in voluntarily joining a war shape.

Also, how did he end up in the custody of Russia? Captured, or just strolled into Moscow one day with his big balls clanging at each step.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I'm also curious why he isn't being treated as a POW. This seems like a violation of the Geneva convention, but there's too little information here.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago

Russia is a fascist state and doesn't care about that, or hypocrisy.

That's your missing information.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

*Prisoner of special military operation

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Article doesn't say, but I'm assuming they captured him in Ukraine. In which case Russia took someone from a foreign territory they were at war with (they've done this so much already that we know it happens) as a prisoner of war. And then sentenced him in one of their internal kangaroo courts.

I'm not a lawyer, but it sounds like they broke a plethora of Geneva Convention provisions. (Again, something we know Russia does a lot.)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Nitpick: From Russia's point of view Ukraine isn't a foreign territory, this is a civil war.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 month ago (4 children)

I don't get it. Unless there are warcrimes involved, condemning enemy combatants is more than petty. Especially if they are captured outside Russian territory.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago

I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with anything beyond Russia wanting to use him as a bargaining chip

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

Just as the horny dude that went from his crayon eating routine to freaking russia cause a girl asked him to and got jailed because of being an american: russia needs prisioners to trade. Don't fly to russia if you hold a NATO-member citizenship

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

Big assumption he was actually a combatant. The Kremlin sat on this for two years then had a closed trial. I wouldn't even believe them if they told me what they had for lunch, let alone this.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Early on Russia said it would treat any foreigner fighting for Ukraine as a mercenary, and criminally punish them. Doesn't matter that they sign with the Ukrainian government to fully be in the Ukrainian military. Just more rank hypocrisy, as they pull soldiers from all over Africa, India and China. Along with Americans caught in statutory rape charges that happened to flee before trial.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

Fuck, we need to give him a medal, that is a badass right there.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

If he was, that is none of putin's business.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

Just be honest and say they sentenced him to death. Whether it's from abuse or just because at his age he won't last 7 years in their shitty prisons, he's never going home and everybody knows it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

They should offer to send him to the front lines in lieu of prison and see how that works out for them.