Boies Schiller Flexner’s pro bono client Stephen James Hubbard is free and returning home to the United States after more than four years in Russian custody. Russia released him on humanitarian grounds.
“History tells us that the road to peace is long and difficult, but its human dividends need not wait for a final agreement” said Martin De Luca, the BSF partner who led the representation. “Stephen Hubbard’s freedom is a dividend earned along the hard road to peace.”
Mr. Hubbard is a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan. He was the oldest American held in Russia and the only American in Russia currently designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained.
“Two Americans have now come home from Russia on humanitarian grounds in ten weeks,” De Luca said. “These are tangible results of sustained diplomacy. President Trump made Stephen’s freedom a top priority and kept it there. Special Envoy Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and the team at the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs carried that commitment through with skill and persistence. We are thankful to them all.”
“Humanitarian gestures build the trust that diplomacy runs on” De Luca said. “We hope Stephen’s release will build further momentum toward bringing every American home and broader diplomatic progress.”
“There is no greater privilege in our profession than helping bring an American home to his family,” said Andrew Smith, partner at BSF. “After more than four years in Russian custody, Stephen is finally free. Nothing matters more than that.” His freedom required extraordinary persistence, difficult legal work across two countries, and a commitment to finding a humanitarian solution. We are especially grateful to our colleagues at EPAM Law for their resourcefulness and dedication.”
“We are overjoyed and deeply grateful that Stephen is free,” said the Hubbard family. “We thank President Trump, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and the hostage affairs team for bringing him home. We especially appreciate his lawyers at Boies Schiller Flexner and EPAM Law for standing by him. We ask for privacy as Stephen recovers and reconnects with the people who love him.”
The BSF team was led by De Luca and Smith, who also represented Marc Fogel, released from Russia in February 2025.