WASHINGTON — The parents of a former U.S. Marine who has been jailed for nearly a year in Moscow on charges that he endangered police officers are urging the court system and government to ensure a fair trial for their son. They spoke out Monday as a Russian court sentenced another American to more than a decade in prison in an unrelated espionage case.
Trevor Reed was arrested in August 2019, accused of assaulting police officers in Moscow who were driving him to a police station after picking him up following a night of heavy drinking. Russian authorities say 28-year-old Reed was drunk inside a police car when he grabbed the arm of the driver, causing him to swerve into another lane, and elbowed another officer who tried to intervene.
Reed’s trial began this year and continues June 30. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. His family says that besides seeking a fair trial for their son, they also want to ensure that U.S. officials are closely tracking the case, including watching for potential irregularities in the Russian justice system that could result in unfair punishment.
“We want to make sure that people throughout our government, both elected and in the agencies, understand what’s going on in case he gets a disproportionate punishment,” Joey Reed, his father, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Which at this point, based on the evidence and the facts of the case, any prison sentence in my opinion is disproportionate.”
His parents spoke to the AP the same day another American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, was sentenced to 16 years.
