Sunday, and another American has been sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony in Russia . . . though this one is a criminal case, once again arising from alleged drug violations. The prisoner is Travis Leake, a musician and musical producer fronting for Russian band Lovi Noch (“Catch the Night”), who was initially arrested in June of 2023.

Charged with — and now convicted of — drug smuggling, the former U.S. paratrooper pled not guilty, saying, “I don’t understand why I’m here. I don’t admit guilt, I don’t believe I could have done what I’m accused of because I don’t know what I’m accused of.” [Sergey Gudkov, CNN, July 18, 2024.]

Though his case is not seemingly politically-motivated, Leake now becomes yet another piece of merchandise in Russia’s growing assemblage of assets to be used in its ongoing “trade war” with the United States — the commodity being human lives.

*. *. *

The update, of course, is the conviction of Evan Gershkovich on bogus charges of espionage, and the court’s sentence of 16 years (the prosecution had asked for 18) to be served in an as-yet-unnamed prison. No surprise here, though it still feels like being gut-punched.

*. *. *

And the wait for information about Vladimir Kara-Murza drags on. It has been 17 days since his July 4th transfer from his punishment cell at IK-6 penal colony to the prison hospital, under secretive and mysterious circumstances. And nearly a week since there has been any word from prison officials or Kara-Murza’s attorneys as to his condition, or even his whereabouts. To say that the situation is intolerable would be a gross understatement. The memory of Alexei Navalny is too recent, too painful . . . and too similar.

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There are others, of course. But the one who has been held HOSTAGE the longest — just over five and one-half years — is former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Arrested on charges of espionage on December 28, 2018 (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Paul), he was not sentenced until June of 2020. He is now one-third of the way through his 16-year sentence, and is more than deserving of recognition as the most patient of the Americans on this list . . . and of a spot at the top of the “swap list.” Hang in there, Paul; your day will come.

*. *. *

And, as always, we pay our weekly tribute to all those HOSTAGES locked away in Russian prisons for strictly political reasons:

Vladimir Kara-Murza
Evan Gershkovich
Alsu Kurmasheva
Paul Whelan
Ilya Yashin
Staff Sgt. Gordon Black
Robert Woodland Romanov
Boris Akunin
Marc Hilliard Fogel
Asya Kazantseva
Ilya Barabanov
Aleksandr Skobov
Antonina Favorskaya
Oleg Orlov
Boris Kagarlitsky
Oleg Navalny
Ksenia Karelina
Ksenia Fadeyeva
Lilia Chanysheva
Vadim Ostanin
Sergei Udaltsov
Danuta Perednya
Olesya Krivtsova
Konstantin Gabov
Sergey Karelin
Sergey Mingazov
Michael Travis Leake

. . . and the hundreds of others whose names remain unknown to me. You have not been, and will not be, forgotten.

Brendochka
7/21/24