December 15, 2021 (Attorney visits Trevor at IK-12 Labor Camp)
Trevor possibly being moved to a prison hospital for examination.
An attorney visited Trevor and was told by prison officials that he would shortly be sent to a prison hospital to be examined. We believe he was sent on December 17th. Previously when he was sent to prison hospitals in Moscow, he was either not treated or he was sent to disturbing locations such as a mental institution and locked up with psychotic killers. Trevor has been complaining of congestion and a cough since having Covid in June. He now has some other health issues that may be related to drinking non-potable water in solitary confinement.
June 16, 2021 (Presidential Summit USA/RF, Geneva, Switzerland)
When asked by journalists following the summit, President Putin said that an agreement might be made to release prisoners. He said that the Russian Foreign Ministry and US State Department would be working toward this.
President Biden said that it was discussed and that he would not walk away from this.
June 15, 2021 (Trevor Returned to SIZO-5)
Trevor called the US Embassy and his family to let us know he had been moved back to SIZO-5 on Monday, June 14. He said that he was told he had tested negative for Covid a few days earlier. He said he still continued to have some chest discomfort and was requesting chest x-rays and another Covid test. Trevor said that some people from his jail cell had also been sent to the SIZO-1 Prison Hospital while he was there. They have all returned to SIZO-5 now.
While in the SIZO-5 Prison Hospital, Trevor received only vitamins. He could hear people in other cells yelling for help because they were very ill. On the weekends, the nurses would tell them to be quiet because there were no doctors there. There was a rumor that someone died in a room near them. Upon return to SIZO-5, Trevor said it appears that many people in the jail are ill.
May 17-June 14, 2021 (Trevor Reed Covid-19 Timeline)
May 17: Trevor notifies us he has had a fever for a couple of days and has a cough. Requests that Embassy request Covid test.
Trevor said that half the men in his cell are sick.
May 18 & 19: US Embassy contacts prison to request Covid test for Trevor, but requests are denied because Trevor's fever is not
high enough and he doesn't have loss of taste/smell.
May 21: Defense team files formal written request for Covid test.
May 23: Covid test is administered, no immediate results.
May 24: Trevor is taken to Moscow City Court to meet with his attorneys and review the Serbsky report. His prison sent a paper
stating that he was healthy and able to travel. Trevor continued to have a fever and told prison staff he had lost his sense
of smell.
May 25: Defense team is notified that Trevor is positive for Covid-19. The appeal hearing scheduled for May 26, is postponed.
Defense team is concerned they might have been exposed to Covid-19 due to the prison's lack of concern for Trevor's
complaints and not waiting for results of Covid test.
May 26: US Embassy requests information on Trevor's status and they are told he was moved to SIZO-1 Hospital for isolation.
May 26-June 14: US Embassy daily makes requests for communications with Trevor, but requests have so far been denied. There has been no direct communication with Trevor for 14 days since May 24th. The US Embassy has been in constant contact with the appeal court, SIZO-1 prison, and the Russian Foreign Ministry while attempting to communicate with Trevor. SIZO-1 Matrosskaya Tishina prison keeps giving the Embassy the run around with one excuse after another.
March 26, 2021 [Day 588] (Serbsky Institute Evaluation)
On March 26, 2021, there was an appeal hearing in Moscow City Court. The court received a report from the Serbsky Institute stating that Trevor could not have been conscious of any actions on the morning of August 16, 2019 due to his level of intoxication. The judge has asked for further evaluation of Trevor's mental health. We are not sure what this has to do with his being intoxicated. There is concern this may be another excuse to hold Trevor. He is expected to be moved to Serbsky Institute at any time for a period of up to one month of observation.
To be clear, Trevor is innocent of the charges against him. Trevor is accused of "intentionally" endangering the lives of police officers. Even if Trevor had committed some act, he was so intoxicated that the experts have now documented twice that in his condition he could not have made any "intentional" act. Intent is required to imprison a person in Russia. Experts in court and at Serbsky Institute have determined Trevor had severe alcohol poisoning based on 2 police breathalyzer tests, police testimony, and witness testimony, His level of intoxication would mean blackouts, unable to walk, and near coma or death.
March 2, 2021 [Day 564] (Trevor sent to hospital for evaluation, but not returned to his prison. He was taken to the Psychiatric Ward of the notorious Butyrka prison for 9 days)
Trevor was taken to Serbsky Institute in Moscow for a series of questions to determine what his level of consciousness was on the morning of his arrest. This is an evaluation Trevor had been requesting since August 2020. Following the questioning, he was not returned to his prison. He was taken to the notorious Butyrka Prison Psychological Ward. (Considered one of the worst prisons in the world). He was placed in a room with seven mentally ill persons believed to be murderers. There was blood on the walls and a hole in the floor for wastes. Trevor was moved out of this room after a couple of days. On March 11, the US Embassy called his regular prison to ask about his condition and they were informed that he was taken to the other prison 9 days earlier and was in the process of being returned. Trevor's attorneys were also not informed of the move. The Russian government claims it was a logistical mistake even though Trevor was ordered to pack his things before he went to the hospital. Trevor was unharmed and returned to his original jail.
December 3, 2020 [Day 474] (United States, House of Representatives passes HR 1115 Calling for the Immediate Release of Trevor Reed, a United States citizen wrongfully sentenced to 9 Years in a Russian Prison)
Four Congressman, both Republicans and Democrats, argued in favor of the resolution on the floor of the House before it going to a voice vote. See "From the News" section for videos of the debate.
Week of November 30- December 4, 2020 [Daya 470-475] (Trevor, His Attorneys, and Translator came to Golovinsky Court to Review trial documents and videos for his appeal)
Trevor and his defense team met in the courtroom on three days this week to review documents from his trial and compare them to the audio recordings of the trial. They were documenting all of the missing parts of the trial that were not included in the official court transcripts (protocols). They were also documenting the sections of the transcripts that were written down incorrectly and didn't reflect the actual words of the person that was testifying or asking questions during the trial.
Each day of documents review, Trevor was brought to the courthouse early in the morning around 07:00 AM. He was placed in a small enclosed room the size of a phone booth or public restroom stall. The room has no windows. He would remain there all day except for the few hours he was in the courtroom to review documents. He would be taken back there after he finished his review and remain there until late in the evening around 9:00 PM. He would then be transported back to the jail and arrive between 10:00-11:00 PM. We are not sure what he was fed or had to drink during his time in the holding cell. We are unsure if there is a bench, stool, or something to sit on. In some cases it is so small that he can't even lay out on the floor.
November 18, 2020 [Day 459] (Denial of petitions, letter content, letters in English, medical records)
1. Trevor wrote petitions to Moscow City Court, Golovinsky District Court, and his attorneys, but the handwritten petitions were
delivered to the authorities by the jail. This was reported to the Embassy today.
2. Trevor and his father had been trying to place a chess game through email letters, but this week the jail blocked those
those portions of the letters. This was reported to the Embassy today.
3. A complaint was made to the Embassy regarding Trevor's continual denial of email letters in English. Trevor may only
receive letters written in Russian. He must handwrite all outgoing letters in Russian so they can be censored. The Embassy's
previous response to these complaints has been that the jail doesn't have proper staff on hand to review letters in English.
We raised the concern that Russian prisoners are probably allowed to receive letters in Russian in American prisons, but this
is not a consideration in how Americans are treated in Russia. With today's complaint, the Embassy responded that they
could not help with requests for letters in English through the national prison system's email system. They said we could try
letters through the Russian postal service and they would try to help with that. In the 15 months Trevor has been in prison,
we had never been told this until today. We will try a letter through the Russian postal system tomorrow. It is doubtful that
they will be allowed due to virus prevention protocols.
4. Since March, 2019, the Embassy has requested a copy of Trevor's medical records from the jail. In the past month, Trevor's
attorneys have also filed requests to obtain a copy of his medical reports. The attorneys advised Trevor to write a petition to
allow the Embassy and his attorneys to obtain copies of all of his medical records from the jail. But even after doing so,
multiple times, the jail still refuses to provide those documents. Trevor was shown a copy of his medical "card" over a month
ago and there was nothing on it. In the last two weeks he was provided an updated copy which included a few things from
early in the year. It didn't include any of his significant medical issues that he has battled during his time in prison. We are
unsure if this is done to protect personnel, incompetence, or intentional. The U.S. Embassy appears to be helpless in these
matters.
November 11, 2020 [Day 452] Appeal Hearing-Moscow City Court, (Click here for TRIALS/APPEALS page)
The appeals court tried to pressure Trevor and his attorneys to move forward with the appeal even though Trevor was never provided with:
1. Full Translations of the trial. Only about 1/3 of transcripts.
2. Translation of his trial sentence verdict.
3. Translations provided were very poor and not understandable.
Other issues raised by Trevor and the defense:
4. All documents from the trial were not provided to the appeal court by the Golovinsky District court.
5. Audio tapes of the trial were denied to the defense on several occasions by the Golovinsky District court.
The case was sent back to the Golovinsky court to provide all documents and audio tapes to the defense for further review prior to it being returned to Moscow City court for appeal.
November 5, 2020 [Day 446] (Regular Update) Click Here
Trevor has now been imprisoned longer than the Americans held hostage in Iran in 1979-80. They were detained 444 days and released for fear of going to war with the United States.
October 27, 2020 [Day 437] Appeal Hearings Begin in Moscow City Court (SEE TRIALS/APPEALS page for more details)
The first level of appeals began today in the Moscow City Court. This would be similar to a State level court in the U.S. There were two hearings scheduled for today; 1) Appeal of conviction and 9 year sentence in Golovinsky District Court, 2) Appeal of the Golovinsky District Court's denial to investigate Trevor's claim regarding his "bodily injuries" sustained during his initial arrest.
1) The main appeal was postponed after the defense presented information about no translated verdict being presented to Trevor, and numerous errors in translation of the transcripts and missing documents. Postponed until November 11, 2020.
2) The appeal of the Golovinsky District Court's denial to investigate Trevor's claim of injuries during his arrest was heard and dismissed by a different judge. She said that it would be part of the main appeal. (His rights to have his complaint investigated have been denied by the investigator, prosecutors, and the Golovinsky District Court judge. They consider the police officers the "victims" and not Trevor. )
September, 2020
1. Continual problems getting Trevor over-the-counter medications for medical issues.
2. Trevor not allowed to make phone calls to his family as other prisoners.
3. Trevor must write and receive all letters in Russian language.
4. For almost 1 year, Trevor denied a foam bed pad for severe back pain even though other prisoners are allowed them.
5. In September during one of two family visits per month, he was removed from his cube and moved to a holding cell away from his Dad and Lina for about 15 minutes. No reasons given.
September 24, 2020 [Day 404] Ambassador Sullivan visits Trevor at SIZO-5
United States Ambassador to the Russian Federation, John Sullivan, made a short visit with Trevor today. Trevor was in good spirits and glad to see him. Trevor updated the Ambassador on his condition and issues that he is having getting some medicines, proper bedding, phone calls with family, and a recent interference with his family visit.
August 31, 2020 [Day 381] United States Ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan visits Trevor at SIZO-5
This was Ambassador Sullivan's first time to meet Trevor. They had a good meeting and the Ambassador got to visit with Trevor not only about his situation and needs, but also about his family, school, and his future. We are very thankful for the Ambassador visiting Trevor and holding a press conference outside the prison following the visit.
July 24, 2020 [Day 344] (Attorneys Meet with Trevor and Arrange for Medicines to be accepted)
The attorneys were allowed to meet with Trevor at SIZO-5. They were allowed to have a room with him instead of visiting through the glass as had been done for several months during the pandemic. Following the meeting, the attorneys met with prison officials and cleared up an internal communications problem between doctors that had been preventing Trevor from receiving over the counter medications he needed for medical issues. The embassy still has never received any medical documents from the jail that were requested on March 27th.
July 9, 2020 [Day 329] (Trial Continued)
The trial continued today with audio and video evidence presented. One witness testimony was read. Requests for defense expert witnesses were made and approved by the Judge.
July 2, 2020 [Day 322] (Trial Continued)
The trial continued today after almost four months of pandemic delays. We will post some details from the hearing in the trials section in the next few days.
June 30, 2020 [Day 320] (Hearing Cancelled)
The trial hearing for today was postponed for the sixth time since March 11th. This was due to prisoners not being allowed to leave the jail due to possible virus contamination. We have been told that starting tomorrow, July 1, prisoners will be allowed to leave the jail to attend their trials. Trevor trial is scheduled to continue at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 2nd.
June 18, 2020 [Day 308] (No Changes To Report)
Trevor is anxious to get his trial started again and get it over with. It is unclear if prisoners will be allowed to leave the jail for court by June 30th. The family is very thankful for news reports about Trevor's situation. We want to clarify that we have not made any demands of any government or officials. That would be counterproductive. We work respectfully within the laws and procedures of both the Russian Federation and United States of America in an effort to have the fairest trial possible.
June 1, 2020 [Day 291] (Trial was postponed until June 30th and July 2nd, 5th postponement!)
The trial hearing set for June 2nd has been postponed again. Prisoners are still not being allowed to leave the jails and return because they might expose the prison population to the virus. The new tentative date of Tuesday, June 39th and July 2nd, 2020 has been scheduled for the next trial date. The Embassy still has not been able to communicate with Trevor nor have they received any medical information from the jail.
May 25, 2020 [Day 284] (Trial was postponed until June 2nd, 4th postponement!)
The trial hearing set for May 26th has been postponed again. Prisoners are still not being allowed to leave the jails and return because they might expose the prison population to the virus. The new tentative date of Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 has been scheduled for the next trial date. The Embassy still has not been able to communicate with Trevor nor have they received any medical information from the jail.
May 13, 2020 [Day 271] (Trial was postponed until May 26, 3rd postponement!)
The government has ordered the courts to resume regular cases. However, Prisoners are not allowed to leave the jails and return because they might expose the prison population to the virus. In Trevor's court, either the courtroom is not able to utilize video conferencing with the jail, or the defendant must be present in person for criminal trials, or both. We are unsure of the exact reason for the postponement at this time. We are also unsure if prisoners will be released from jail for courts by May 26. Even though the civilian lockdown in Moscow is beginning to open, there may still be concerns about infections inside the crowded prisons and jails.
April 22, 2020 [Day 251] (Appeal Hearing related to Bail, Moscow City Court)
Today was Trevor’s sixth bail appeal hearing in the past seven months. (See the “Denied Bail/Supreme Court” heading for past details). Today in court, Trevor’s father was questioned by the defense and the judge. The prosecutor had no questions for the father. The defense identified several sections of the 450+ page case file for the judge to read in court. Then, the defense attorneys argued numerous points including the opinions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Cassation that opposed Trevor’s bail being withdrawn. They made arguments for approximately 45 minutes. The prosecutor, who we had not seen before and was probably unfamiliar with the case, argued her points for just under two minutes. Trevor was then asked if he had any statements and he brought direct examples of why the prosecutor’s arguments should be invalid including quoting the decision of the Supreme Court related to registration. The judge deliberated for approximately 10-15 minutes and ruled that Trevor should remain in jail and not be granted bail or house arrest. Tomorrow, we will post the specific arguments raised by both sides and the judge’s comments related to the ruling.
April 20, 2020 [Day 249] (Appeal court was postponed until April 22)
The defense interpreter was not allowed to be present in court today. Then the court appointed interpreter was not able to perform, so the hearing had to be rescheduled for Wednesday, April 22)
April 17, 2020 (We received notification that Trevor's next appeal hearing for Bail will be held on Monday, April 20th, in Moscow City Court)
This is the continuation of the appeal process that has already been to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the 2nd Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction.
April 15, 2020 (Trial Postponed until May 13, 2020)
The trial has been postponed until May 13, 2020. It is our understanding that some courts will begin hearing cases again in April, but this is not confirmed. There has been no news about the next appeals court date for the ongoing argument regarding the method of detention (Bail or Home Arrest). Even though a Moscow City Court granted bail, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation determined that bail was withdrawn in violation of the law, and the 2nd Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction agreed with the Supreme Court findings, Trevor is still being held in jail pending yet another appeal hearing at the Moscow City Court where the original bail was granted seven months ago.
March 27, 2020
Trevor's father delivered food to SIZO-5 for Trevor. His father attempted to deliver hand sanitizer and antibacterial hand wipes along with other supplies. The antibacterial products were rejected at the main transfer window and also later in the day by medical staff. The jail had already stopped visitations with prisoners on about March 17-18 due to Coronavirus restrictions, but as of March 27, was still accepting food, clothing, and medications.
March 25, 2020
Trevor had a syncopal episode on March 25th sometime after his court appearance. He was unconscious briefly. Medical staff said that his blood pressure was in the neighborhood of 80?/50? and his pulse rate was around 50. These are not his normal vital signs. He notified his attorneys via video during an appeal hearing held the following day. On March 27th, the U.S. Embassy submitted an official "Urgent" request for medical information related to Trevor's condition. As of June 1, the Embassy has not received this information.