{"id":2317694,"date":"2024-08-01T16:36:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T20:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-are-the-americans-still-being-held-in-russian-prisons-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T16:39:07","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T20:39:07","slug":"who-are-the-americans-still-being-held-in-russian-prisons-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-are-the-americans-still-being-held-in-russian-prisons-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Who are the Americans still being held in Russian prisons? &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwho-are-the-americans-still-being-held-in-russian-prisons-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2317694&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Following a significant prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia, several Americans remain incarcerated in\u200c Russia despite the release of journalists Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan. Among the prominent cases is Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained since August 2021 \u2064for attempting\u200d to enter Russia \u2064with medical marijuana. Efforts to label his detention as &#8220;wrongful&#8221; have been made by Pennsylvania lawmakers\u2062 seeking his inclusion in future exchanges.<\/p>\n<p>Another case involves U.S. Army Staff Sgt.\u2064 Gordon Black, who was arrested in Vladivostok after \u2064a dispute with his girlfriend and sentenced to nearly four years for theft. Additionally, Robert Woodland, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, \u2064was convicted of drug trafficking and is serving a 12.5-year sentence in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-calls-for-immediate-release-of-americans-detained-by-russia\/\" title=\"Demand: Immediate release of detained Americans by Russia.\">maximum-security penal colony<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ksenia \u200dKhavana,\u200b a Russian-American ballerina, was arrested for donating\u200b money to a\u200b Ukrainian charity and stands accused of treason, while David Barnes, a 66-year-old American, was convicted of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scotland-yard-closes-case-against-prince-andrew-after-reviewing-sex-assault-claims\/\" title=\"Scotland Yard Closes Case Against Prince Andrew After Reviewing Sex Assault Claims\">sexual abuse claims<\/a>,\u2062 despite these allegations having been previously dismissed in Texas. These cases highlight ongoing\u200d concerns regarding\u200b American citizens \u2063detained in Russia amid geopolitical tensions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Who are the Americans still being held in Russian prisons?<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1720994\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3107070\/evan-gershkovich-paul-whelan-released-russia-major-prisoner-swap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"largest prisoner swap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-and-russia-agree-to-largest-prisoner-swap-since-cold-war-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"West and Russia agree to largest prisoner swap since Cold War - Washington Examiner\">largest prisoner swap<\/a><\/a> since the end of the Cold War, a number of Americans still remain behind bars in Russia.<\/p>\n<p><em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>&nbsp;reporter Evan Gershkovich and former United States Marine Paul Whelan were released from Russian custody Wednesday in the historic prisoner swap, but several U.S. citizens remain.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the major known American prisoners in Russian custody:<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Marc Fogel<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A drawn portrait of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since August 2021, hangs on rails outside of the White House during a demonstration organized by his family, Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Stephanie Scarbrough)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fogel, an American teacher from Butler County, Pennsylvania, was detained in Russia in August 2021 after trying to enter the country with a small amount of medical marijuana. Though a grassroots movement has attempted to get the U.S. to designate him as &ldquo;wrongfully detained,&rdquo; such a request has not been fulfilled.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania lawmakers have repeatedly lobbied for his case. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) signed a joint letter asking for Fogel to be included in Wednesday&rsquo;s prisoner swap.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As news of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/talks-heat-up-over-brittney-griner-swap-for-russian-terrorist-as-griner-team-appeals-drug-conviction-in-russia\/\" title=\"Talks Heat Up Over Brittney Griner Swap For Russian Terrorist As Griner Team Appeals Drug Conviction In Russia\">potential prisoner exchange<\/a> is being reported, we urge that any swap include Pennsylvania&rsquo;s Marc Fogel, along with Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich,&rdquo;<strong> <\/strong>they said. &ldquo;Marc is a Pennsylvania teacher with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legendary-batman-comic-artist-tim-sale-dead-at-66\/\" title=\"Legendary Batman Comic Artist Tim Sale Dead at 66\">severe health issues<\/a> who has been unjustly imprisoned in a Russian prison for three years, and as the congressional members who represent Marc and his family, we have been pushing to bring Marc home as quickly as possible. As negotiations are ongoing with the Russian Federation, we respectfully request that any potential prisoner swap include Marc Fogel.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Fogel&rsquo;s mother was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/video\/marc-fogels-mother-was-supposed-to-get-on-stage-with-trump-at-butler-rally\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"supposed\">supposed<\/a> to get onstage with former President Donald Trump during his July 13 Butler rally but was prevented from doing so due to the assassination attempt on Trump&rsquo;s life.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gordon Black<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black talks with his lawyer sitting in a glass cage in a courtroom in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Black is on trial on charges of theft and threatening murder in a dispute with a Russian woman. Russian state media reported that he denied the allegation of threatening murder but &ldquo;partially&rdquo; admitted to theft. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Black, 34, a U.S. Army Staff Sgt stationed in South Korea, went AWOL in June and flew to Vladivostok to see his Russian girlfriend. Russian media reported that he then got into a physical altercation with his girlfriend and stole the equivalent of around $115. He was arrested and sentenced to nearly four years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>The military later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/daily-news\/2024\/07\/30\/us-army-cut-off-pay-of-staff-sgt-gordon-black-after-his-arrest-russia-officials-say.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"confirmed\">confirmed<\/a> that it had cut off Black&rsquo;s pay after his arrest.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Robert Woodland<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Robert Woodland, a U.S. citizen born in Russia, stands in a glass cage during a court hearing, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Moscow, Russia. Woodland was convicted of drug-related charges and sentenced to 12 1\/2 years in prison on Thursday. (AP Photo\/Alexander Zemlianichenko)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Woodland, a Russian-born <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-citizen-woodland-convicted-moscow-court-f858be6b6668bc9d46023077e468a36b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"dual\">dual<\/a> Russia-U.S. citizen, was arrested in January for allegedly trafficking a large number of illegal drugs into the country. He was sentenced to 12 1\/2 years in a maximum security penal colony in July.<\/p>\n<p>Woodland claimed that he first visited Russia to find his mother but then decided to move there.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ksenia Khavana<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Two Americans not on the list of today&#8217;s prisoner exchange:<\/p>\n<p>Gordon Black &mdash; US Army Staff Sgt. arrested in Vladivostok while having an extramarital affair <\/p>\n<p>Ksenia Khavana &mdash; Russian-American ballerina arrested in Yekaterinburg for donating $50 to a Ukrainian charity <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7fPLMAplVg\">pic.twitter.com\/7fPLMAplVg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Kareem Rifai &#127760; (@KareemRifai) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KareemRifai\/status\/1819090583258075594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 1, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Khavana, 33, a Russian-born dual Russia-U.S. citizen, was arrested while visiting Russia in January on treason charges. She was <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/los-angeles-woman-arrest-russia-ukraine-3a121981719ed1904c0bbdbdb38f14ab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"accused\">accused<\/a> of &ldquo;proactively&rdquo; raising funds &ldquo;subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons, and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Khavana disputed the charges, claiming she was only donating funds to humanitarian groups. She once donated $51.80 to the New York-based non-profit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.razomforukraine.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Razom\">Razom<\/a>. It&rsquo;s unknown if the charges stem from this donation.<\/p>\n<p>The Los Angeles resident was visiting her family in Russia as she did at least once per year, this time for a two-week trip to spend time with her 90-year-old grandmother, parents, and younger sister.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Barnes<\/h2>\n<p>Barnes, 66, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/russia-david-barnes-american-sexual-abuse-custody-case-svetlana-koptyaeva\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"detained\">detained<\/a> in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in January 2022. He was visiting his sons in Russia, where his ex-wife had taken them. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison over claims he sexually abused his two sons in Houston between 2014 and 2018.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The American&rsquo;s wife said that he repeatedly raped his sons born in 2010 and 2014. He committed crimes in the United States in the cities of Houston and the Woodlands from 2014 to 2018, when the boys were visiting him,&rdquo; the pro-Kremlin <em>Pravda<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<p>The sexual abuse claims were previously dismissed by Texas investigators, leading supporters to decry the conviction. His lawyer, Gleb Glinka, said he was &ldquo;shocked&rdquo; by the sentence.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We thought that there was considerable doubt about what happened and both the verdict itself and the prison term was entirely unexpected,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Robert Gilman<\/h2>\n<p>Gilman, a former Marine, was arrested in 2022 for allegedly assaulting a police officer while drunk in the city of Voronezh. He was originally sentenced to 4 1\/2 years in prison, but the sentence was reduced to 3 1\/2 years on appeal.<\/p>\n<p>Gilman is facing further charges of disrupting the work of a penitentiary facility and assaulting an investigator after allegedly punching three different prison staff and attacking a criminal investigator, the <em>Moscow Times<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themoscowtimes.com\/2024\/06\/28\/american-man-jailed-in-russia-faces-new-charges-a85547\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"reported\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Gilman claims he was being poisoned by &ldquo;radioactive material&rdquo; and feared for his life.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eugene Spector<\/h2>\n<p>Spector, a Russian-born U.S. citizen and medical company executive, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison over his alleged role in bribing former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich in September 2022. The following year, he was hit with new espionage charges, which carry a significantly longer sentence.<\/p>\n<p>The details of the new accusations of espionage were not made public.<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1720994\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1720994\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who are the Americans currently imprisoned in Russia? Despite the recent significant prisoner exchange, several U.S. citizens continue to be incarcerated in Russian facilities. On Wednesday, Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan were freed as part of this historic swap, but others remain behind bars. Here are some notable American detainees in Russia:<\/p>\n<p>**Marc Fogel**<br \/>\nA portrait of Marc Fogel, who has been held in Russia since August 2021, was displayed outside the White House during a family-organized demonstration on July 15, 2023. Fogel is an American teacher from Butler County, Pennsylvania, arrested for attempting to enter Russia with a small quantity of medical marijuana. Although there has been grassroots advocacy for his designation as &#8220;wrongfully detained,&#8221; this request has not yet been granted. Pennsylvania lawmakers have consistently pushed for his case; Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) sent a joint letter urging that he be included in the recent prisoner exchange alongside Whelan and Gershkovich.<\/p>\n<p>**Gordon Black**<br \/>\nU.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black appeared with his lawyer in a Vladivostok courtroom on June 19, 2024. He faces charges related to theft and threats of murder stemming from an incident involving a Russian woman after going AWOL from his post in South Korea to visit her.<\/p>\n<p>**Robert Woodland**<br \/>\nRobert Woodland is a dual citizen born in Russia who was sentenced to over 12 years for drug trafficking after being arrested earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>**Ksenia Khavana**<br \/>\nKsenia Khavana is another dual citizen who was detained on treason charges while visiting family; she allegedly raised funds used by Ukrainian forces but claims her donations were intended for humanitarian purposes.<\/p>\n<p>**David Barnes**<br \/>\nBarnes was arrested while visiting his sons in Yekaterinburg and received a lengthy prison sentence based on allegations of sexual abuse that had previously been dismissed by Texas authorities.<\/p>\n<p>**Robert Gilman**<br \/>\nFormer Marine Robert Gilman faced multiple legal issues following an arrest for assaulting police officers while intoxicated; he claims he fears for his safety due to alleged poisoning within prison.<\/p>\n<p>**Eugene Spector**<br \/>\nSpector is facing serious charges related to bribery and espionage after being sentenced previously over bribery accusations involving high-ranking officials.<\/p>\n<p>These cases highlight ongoing concerns regarding American citizens still imprisoned under various circumstances within Russia&#8217;s judicial system<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2317695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Gordon-Black.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[3884,4734,36930,36929],"class_list":["post-2317694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-americans","tag-detainees","tag-human-rights","tag-russian-prisons"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Gordon-Black.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2317695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}