It has been nearly a year and a half since the last release of an American hostage — Marc Fogel — by the Russian government on February 11, 2025. Among the thousands of political prisoners of various nationalities, there are eight Americans remaining (to my knowledge): David Barnes, Gordon Black, Robert Gilman, Stephen James Hubbard, Michael Travis Leake, Eugene Spector, Joseph Tater, and Robert Romanov Woodland.

The last published article about these eight American hostages that I have been able to find was from The Associated Press on April 10, 2025 — and even that named only five of the eight:

Here are the other three:

But what has happened to these men in the interim? Are negotiations for their release being carried out behind closed doors? Or have they been abandoned and forgotten in the midst of the chaos of the Trump administration? What is their present condition? Are they even still alive?

Let me state unequivocally: This lengthy silence is UNACCEPTABLE. The United States — my United States — does NOT abandon its citizens, whether military or civilian.

And the war criminal in the Kremlin cannot be allowed to continue holding foreign individuals, American or otherwise, as bargaining chips for his endless demands.

To the U.S. Department of State, members of Congress, and the occupant of the White House, I reiterate — for the 133rd week — that it is past time to BRING THEM HOME. And, while the public obviously does not need to know the delicate details of any ongoing negotiations, we do at least deserve some assurance that discussions are indeed continuing.

And that of course includes all of the other political prisoners to whom we pay tribute each week. Again, they are:

*. *. *

Prisoners of War:

The 20,000+ Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Endangered Exiles:

Pavel “Pasha” Talankin
Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Oleg Orlov
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Afghanistan:

Mahmoud Habibi (Afghan-American)
Paul Overby (American, missing since 2018)

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
– Farid Mehralizada
– Ulvi Hasanli
– Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
– Mahammad Kekalov
– Hafiz Babali
– Nargiz Absalamova
– Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
– Oleg Antipov
– Artyom Azatyan
– Georgy Azatyan
– Aleksandr Bylin
– Roman Solomko
– Artur Terchanyan
– Dmitry Tyazhelykh
– Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
Aleksandr Andreyev
David Barnes (American)
Yevgenia Berkovich
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Yury Dmitriyev
Anastasia Dyudyaeva
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Mikhail Loshchinin
Grigory Melkonyants
Boris Nadezhdin
Nika NovakSvetlana Petriichuk
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Ilya Remeslo
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Lev Schlossberg
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)Karina Tsurkan
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You have not been, and will not be, forgotten. Stay strong.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/26/26