Washington, August 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A group of 16 Democratic senators has urged the Trump administration to step up efforts to secure the release of five US nationals detained in Russia, some of whom have been in custody for more than four years.
The appeal came after the release of US Marine veteran Robert Gilman, who had been detained in Russia since 2022. The senators said five other Americans remained imprisoned and had not been formally designated by the US administration as wrongfully detained.
“We are united in the belief that the safe return of US nationals detained abroad must remain a priority of the United States government,” the senators said in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The letter was led by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia.
The senators expressed concern that the administration had not yet invoked authorities under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, commonly known as the Levinson Act, to designate the Americans held by Russia as wrongful detainees and elevate their cases to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA).
The five detainees were identified as Andre Khachatoorian, David Barnes, Olga Jezler, Alexsandr Antonov and Charles “Chuck” Zimmerman.
According to the senators, as of Wednesday, Khachatoorian had been detained for 1,688 days, Barnes for 1,671 days and Jezler for 1,506 days. Antonov had spent 524 days in custody, while Zimmerman had been detained for 420 days.
The senators said a wrongful detention designation would improve coordination within the US government, strengthen negotiations and provide additional assistance to the detainees and their families.
Stephen Hubbard, 74, is currently the only American detained in Russia who has formally received such a designation. He has been in custody since April 2022 and was designated as wrongfully detained in January 2025.
The senators also called for adequate consular access for all Americans held in Russian custody and urged the administration to develop a clear strategy for securing their release independently of negotiations concerning the Ukraine war or broader US-Russia disputes.
They further urged Washington to consider designating Russia as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, a designation previously applied to Iran and Afghanistan.
“My heart breaks for these five Americans who are trapped, away from their families, confined in a Russian prison,” Schumer said, describing them as people whose futures had been taken from them and who were being used as “a pawn in a larger conflict”.
Gilman was released after 1,666 days in Russian custody. His release followed reports that he was unresponsive and at risk of dying amid allegations of mistreatment.
The Levinson Act provides a framework for determining whether an American held by a foreign government has been wrongfully detained and strengthens US government coordination on hostage recovery and assistance to affected families.
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