"The Book of Torturers" has revealed the names of the prison guards who tortured Stephen Gabbard in Russia
The project “The Book of Torturers of the Ukrainian People” has released information about the detention facilities and staff members of Russian correctional institutions involved in the torture of 74-year-old U.S. citizen Stephen Gabbard. The man was released from Russian captivity on October 21, 2026.
Russian military forces captured Stephen Gabbard on April 2, 2022, in the temporarily occupied city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region. In October 2024, the Moscow City Court sentenced the American to six years and ten months in a penal colony under the article on mercenary activity—Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
According to the Russian side, the U.S. citizen, who had been living in Ukraine since 2014 and teaching English, joined the Izyum Territorial Defense in February 2022.
Gabbard’s release came at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump during a visit by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to St. Petersburg.
Prior to the sentencing, the American was held at Pretrial Detention Center No. 2 in Novozybkov, Bryansk Oblast, and later at Penal Colony No. 7 in the village of Pakine, Vladimir Oblast. According to the project “The Book of Torturers of the Ukrainian People,” Gabbard was subjected to torture in both facilities similar to that reported by released Ukrainian prisoners of war.
According to his cellmate, the released Ukrainian prisoner of war Igor Shishko, the American was beaten with sticks, batons, and kicks; shocked with a stun gun; set upon by dogs; and starved. He was also forced to crawl through the hallways and mimic sexual acts.
“Hubbard’s situation was compounded by the fact that he is a U.S. citizen and did not speak Russian, which led Federal Penitentiary Service staff to mock him even more,” the “Book of Torturers” project reported.
According to the project, Stephen Hubbard was held at Pretrial Detention Center No. 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service’s Bryansk Region Directorate from approximately September 2022 to May 2023. The facility is located in Novozybkov at 9 Krasnaya Ploshchad Street.
Released detainees have reported numerous instances of cruel treatment at this detention center. These include beatings during the so-called “intake” process, interrogations, and inspections; harassment by dogs; and the use of stun guns.
“People were forced to remove tattoos from their bodies, learn the Russian national anthem, and shout ‘Glory to Russia.’ The lights in the cells were never turned off, food rations were about 200 grams, and people lost 20 kg or more. Guards greeted the captives with the phrase ‘Welcome to Buchenwald,’” said journalist Dmytro Khilyuk, who was released from captivity.
According to the project’s information, at least three Ukrainians are known to have died in this detention center.
Gabbard was held at Penal Colony No. 7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service’s Volodymyr Region Directorate, located in the village of Pakine in the Kovrov District, from May 2023 until the spring of 2024.
According to testimonies from released Ukrainian prisoners, prison staff beat inmates twice a day during inspections and used various methods of torture.
“Those released from Penal Colony No. 7 report that prison staff beat inmates twice a day during inspections and resorted to torture, including striking the feet with sticks (this form of torture is called ‘bastonada’), strangulation with plastic bags, forcing them to crawl on tile floors, and rape with foreign objects. The prisoners were starved: a plate might contain just a few grains of pearl barley, and potato peels instead of potatoes. Scabies was treated with green antiseptic, and the medic advised them to pray. At least three deaths of Ukrainians in this correctional facility are known,” according to the “Book of Torturers” project.
Thus, according to the project’s data, at least six Ukrainians died in Pretrial Detention Center No. 2 in Novozybkov and Penal Colony No. 7 in Pakin—three in each facility.
Russian media identified Penal Colony No. 12 in Mordovia as the American’s final place of detention. However, the “Book of Torturers of the Ukrainian People” project noted that this information is currently being verified.
The project also published data on identified individuals believed to be involved in the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in the aforementioned facilities. These materials are intended to help document cases of cruel treatment of people who were held in Russian captivity.
This is reported on the project’s website.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin ordered the release of 74-year-old U.S. citizen Stephen Gabbard, who had been held in a Russian prison. This came after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Putin to release the American.
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U.S. President Donald Trump announced the release of 75-year-old retired American teacher Stephen Gabbard, who was taken captive by Russia in 2022. According to the U.S. leader, the release took place at his request, which he personally conveyed to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin during a phone call last week.
