Jun 11, 2021 - World

U.S. Embassy says it has lost contact with American imprisoned in Russia

Orion Rummler

Trevor Reed stands imprisoned behind bars — Trevor Reed seen during a July 2020 sentencing hearing at Moscow's Golovinsky District Court. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev\TASS via Getty Images

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said Friday that it has been unable to contact a U.S. citizen detained in Russia and is gravely concerned about his health.

Why it matters: Trevor Reed is a former U.S. Marine who was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Moscow court in 2020 after being charged with assaulting two police officers — accusations that his family and other advocates say are politically motivated and false, per the New York Times.

Reed was diagnosed with COVID-19 in May, and the Embassy said there have been no updates about his health for more than two weeks.
It has been 16 days without contact, and Reed "has been repeatedly denied phone calls to his family or embassy personnel. He has received none of the letters his family has sent."

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U.S. Embassy says it has lost contact with American imprisoned in Russia

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