Freed US citizen was tortured in Russian jail, former Ukrainian prisoners say

Stephen Hubbard was a 74-year-old retired English teacher and US citizen living in Izyum with his Ukrainian partner. Russian soldiers captured him in April 2022 after occupying the eastern Ukrainian city. His case became notable because former Ukrainian prisoners described severe mistreatment during his detention.

Russian authorities accused Hubbard of serving in Ukraine’s armed forces. He was tried in Moscow and sentenced to six years and 10 months. Dmytro Khyliuk and Ihor Shyshko were held alongside him while he awaited trial. They later described beatings, cold, hunger, poor medical care and humiliation.

Hubbard was released by the Kremlin after four-and-a-half years. His release came on the day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. US President Donald Trump said he had asked Putin to free Hubbard during a phone call the previous week. The former prisoners’ accounts support claims from Hubbard’s family that he was tortured.

Torture generally means intentionally causing severe physical or mental suffering to someone under control, often to punish, intimidate, obtain information or break resistance. It can include physical violence, deliberate deprivation and humiliating abuse. The article presents the allegations as accounts from former prisoners, not as a final legal finding.

Ihor Shyshko said guards beat Hubbard on his legs, back and arms and used a stun gun to electrocute him. He also described sexual humiliation, forced exercises, stress positions, extreme cold, inadequate food and denial of medical care. Other reported conditions included infected wounds, scabies and attacks by prison dogs. These acts could qualify as torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment if established.

The claims matter because detainees must be protected from abuse even during war. The accounts were given by two former prisoners and support statements from Hubbard’s family. Confirming the allegations would require credible investigation, medical evidence, witness testimony and access to detention records.

Hubbard was captured in April 2022 and released after four-and-a-half years, according to the article. Khyliuk said Hubbard disappeared from prison in 2024, but he did not know whether that meant release. The detention included time at Novozybkov prison in Bryansk and later at Pakino. Hubbard was also held while awaiting trial.

The reported abuse appeared across both facilities. At Novozybkov, prisoners described broken windows, biting cold and detainees huddling in bathrooms for warmth. At Pakino, Shyshko said Hubbard had severe rot on his knees and feet, scabies and extreme weakness. Prisoners also described beatings, stress positions, poor food and dogs biting detainees.

The accounts came from two Ukrainian prisoners held alongside Hubbard, not from a single brief encounter. Their descriptions suggest harsh conditions affected multiple detainees, while Hubbard was singled out for additional abuse because he was American. The ICRC said it continues discussing access with parties to the conflict.

Hubbard’s nationality made him stand out from the first days of detention. Dmytro Khyliuk said guards specifically asked which cell held the American, then used obscene language, threats and mockery. Ihor Shyshko said officers paid special attention to Hubbard because he was a US citizen.

The reported targeting combined humiliation with punishment. Guards allegedly forced Hubbard to learn Russian, sing the Russian national anthem and repeat prison rules he could not read. Shyshko said officers called him a mercenary and used that label to justify beating him. He also said Hubbard received worse food, medical care and living conditions.

This treatment mattered because nationality appeared to shape the guards’ conduct, rather than merely identifying Hubbard. The article describes repeated abuse over detention in two prisons. His case also carried political significance because he was an American captured during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and later released after US diplomatic pressure.

International humanitarian law requires people held during armed conflict to be treated humanely. They must be protected from torture, murder, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity and humiliating or degrading treatment. Detainees should also receive necessary medical care, adequate food, water, shelter and protection from violence.

These protections apply regardless of nationality, alleged political views or suspected military role. The article describes alleged violations of several basic safeguards. Former prisoners reported beatings, electric shocks, sexual humiliation, cold cells, meagre food, untreated illness and dog attacks. They also described guards forcing detainees to run or hold painful stress positions.

The reported conduct matters because detention does not remove a person’s basic rights. Authorities responsible for holding people must prevent abuse, investigate credible allegations and punish wrongdoing. Independent access, medical examinations and reliable records can help establish what happened. The article does not describe any completed legal investigation into Hubbard’s treatment.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, visits people detained during war to assess their treatment and living conditions. Its work includes seeking access to detainees, speaking with them and checking whether basic humanitarian protections are being respected. The article focuses especially on its responsibility to see each individual.

Khyliuk claimed Hubbard was hidden when an ICRC team visited Pakino, so visitors saw only what prison staff chose to show. He criticized the organisation for accepting that limited view. The ICRC responded that whenever it receives access, it requests to see every individual and assess the conditions in which they are held.

The exchange highlights a practical problem: visits are useful only when authorities allow meaningful, private and complete access. The ICRC said it continues discussions with parties to the conflict. The article does not establish whether the organisation saw Hubbard during that visit or independently confirmed the allegations.

If investigators confirm the allegations, the people who ordered, carried out or enabled the abuse could face criminal accountability under applicable national or international law. Evidence would matter, including witness accounts, medical records, prison documents and independent inspections. Responsibility could extend beyond guards if officials knowingly tolerated or concealed mistreatment.

The reported abuse could also affect diplomacy. Governments may demand investigations, impose pressure or condition cooperation on better treatment of detainees. Claims that Hubbard was hidden from Red Cross visitors could further damage confidence in Russia’s willingness to provide transparent humanitarian access. The article gives no details of any investigation or charges against prison staff.

Future prisoner exchanges could become more difficult if families and governments fear that detainees are being tortured or concealed. Trust is important when arranging releases and verifying prisoners’ wellbeing. At the same time, Hubbard’s release shows that diplomatic contact can produce an outcome, although the article does not say whether his alleged treatment affected the negotiations.