Russia still holds five Americans
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and his Senate Democratic colleagues urged the Trump administration to develop a clear and comprehensive plan to secure the release of American detainees held in Russian custody. Their latest push comes as Rober Gilman was released after 1,666 days.
“We write to express our grave concern for the U.S. nationals detained by the Russian federation under circumstances that raise serious questions about their safety and wellbeing, due process, and violations to international norms,” wrote the senators. “We are united in the belief that the safe return of U.S. nationals detained abroad must remain a priority of the United States government…”
They continued: “We urge the administration to continue employing all diplomatic, economic, and strategic tools available to secure the release of these detained U.S. nationals, steadfastly support their families throughout this process, and conduct these negotiations regardless of a Russia-Ukraine peace process or other issues of bilateral concern.”
In the years following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia has wrongfully detained multiple visiting U.S. nationals. Russia has sentenced them to years of detention with little to no evidence of criminality and is using their detainment as leverage over the United States.
As of August 12, 2026, the following individuals have been held in Russian custody:
- Andre Khachatoorian – 1,688 days
- David Barnes – 1,671 days
- Olga Jezler – 1,506 days
- Alexsandr Antonov – 524 days
- Chuck Zimmerman – 420 days
Specifically, the senators urged the administration to:
- Continue to demand and ensure adequate consular access to all U.S. nationals held in Russian detention.
- Expedit the consideration and employment of the “wrongful detention” designation as intended under the Levinson Act and subsequent legislation that has expanded the Levinson Act, including continued communication with Congress on the criteria and deliberations of such designations.
- Have a plan and path forward to secure the release of U.S. nationals currently detained in the Russian Federation outside of stalled negotiations related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or broader issues in the U.S.-Russia bilateral relationship.
- Consider the use of the State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention designation that has already been used on other repeat offender nations, including Iran and Afghanistan.
Full text of their letter available HERE.
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