The household of Trevor Reed, a U.S. citizen and former marine who's serving time in Russia, met with President Joe Biden on Wednesday after protesting exterior the White Home to convey officers' consideration to their son's case.
Texas native Reed was sentenced to 9 years in jail in 2020 on costs of assaulting cops after a drunken evening out in Moscow a 12 months earlier. Reed's sentence is taken into account among the many harshest handed down for the cost in Russia. Reed has stated he has no recollection of the incident and pleaded not responsible.
Biden promised to work to finish the "nightmare" of his detention, the White Home stated.
"President Biden met at present with Joey and Paula Reed, the mother and father of Trevor Reed, who's wrongfully detained in Russia," White Home press secretary Jen Psaki stated in a press release.
"Throughout their assembly, the president reiterated his dedication to proceed to work to safe the discharge of Trevor, Paul Whelan and different People wrongfully held in Russia and elsewhere."
U.S. officers have accused Russia of holding Reed and Whelan, who can be a former U.S. marine and who had been jailed on espionage costs, as potential pawns in deteriorating U.S.-Russian relations.
A spokesman for Reed stated Tuesday on Twitter that the previous Marine was "again on starvation strike and again in solitary" confinement.
Reed had beforehand gone on a two-week-long starvation strike in November 2021, which he stated he held due to the circumstances, together with "in protest over being repeatedly positioned in a punitive isolation ward," his legal professionals stated on the time.
On Wednesday, Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service confirmed that Reed went on starvation strike at his jail within the area of Mordovia, about 300 miles southeast of Moscow.
"On Monday, March 28, convict Reed went on a starvation strike, having disagreed with the penalty the establishment's disciplinary fee imposed on him, given the circumstances of wrongdoing and former conduct of the convict," the service stated.
"At the moment, Reed is beneath continuous statement by medical employees. The convict is in passable situation," the assertion added.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and the U.S. have been declining for months, and the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens to convey them to a halt. Moscow stated final week that President Biden's calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "battle prison" had pushed bilateral ties to the brink of collapse.
Since then, Biden additionally declared that Putin "can't stay in energy" in a speech in Poland.
Diminished communications between Russian and American diplomatic missions may see Washington shedding little remaining entry to People detained in Russia.
U.S. State Division spokesperson Ned Value stated that U.S. diplomats are being denied entry to Reed and Whelan, whom the U.S. officers say are being held on trumped-up costs.
One other U.S. citizen held in Russia is skilled basketball participant Brittney Griner who was detained in Moscow airport in mid-February on costs of making an attempt to convey vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her baggage, which carry a most penalty of 10 years in jail.