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“Tortured for Being American”: US Citizen Stephen Haggard Reportedly Located in Russian Penal Colony
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![Amira_barkhush]( "Photo of Amira Barkhush")
After months of silence, 73-year-old American citizen Stephen James Haggard, abducted by Russian forces from his home in Izium at the start of the full-scale invasion, has been located in Penal Colony IK-12 in Mordovia.
Convicted in Russia under charges of “mercenarism,” the former US teacher has reportedly been repeatedly tortured because of his nationality.
This was reported by The New York Times in an article published on June 10.
The US State Department has designated Haggard as “wrongfully detained,” a classification that indicates the US government considers the charges against him to be fabricated. This status positions him as a key candidate for a potential prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia.
In October 2024, a Russian court sentenced Haggard to nearly seven years in a penal colony, accusing him of fighting as a mercenary on Ukraine’s side.
Following the verdict, all public records of his case disappeared, even the name of his defense attorney was scrubbed from official registries. According to the NYT, Haggard is being held in IK-12, a penal facility located in the Mordovia republic of southwestern Russia, commonly referred to as “the land of prisons.”
According to attorney Martin de Luca, Haggard’s legal team has managed to speak with him three times since April.
“He’s had a rough three and a half years,” De Luca said.
The outlet added that Ukrainian soldiers who were freed from Russian captivity and had been held alongside Haggard said he was tortured because of his American nationality: beaten, forced to stand all day, denied food, and refused medical treatment. They admitted they feared for his life.
Originally from Michigan, Haggard served in the US Air Force before moving to Japan, where he taught English. In 2012, he relocated to Cyprus and later settled in Izium, Kharkiv region. There, he continued teaching Japanese students online.
On June 9, a photo surfaced online showing a Ukrainian prisoner of war with the phrase “Glory to Russia” mutilated into his abdomen. Ukrainian military intelligence has verified the image as authentic.
