Harold Jezler renewed his appeal as Russia released another American after more than four years in custody.
WASHINGTON, DC — The husband of Olga Jezler, a U.S. permanent resident imprisoned in Russia since 2022, is pressing American officials to secure her release after Russia freed another detained American, retired teacher Stephen Hubbard, on Wednesday.
Harold Jezler and other advocates say Hubbard’s release should bring renewed attention to Americans and U.S.-connected detainees who remain in Russian prisons. Olga Jezler, 36, lived in Westchester County, New York, with her husband before traveling to Russia to help her sister, who was being treated for breast cancer. Russian authorities later arrested her on a drug-trafficking charge and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Her family and advocacy groups dispute the case against her.
Russia released Hubbard, 74, after more than four years in custody. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the move during a meeting in St. Petersburg with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. President Donald Trump said the United States made no concessions in exchange for Hubbard’s freedom. Hubbard had been convicted by a Russian court of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine, an accusation disputed by his family and lawyers.
The timing sharpened the focus on Jezler’s case. ABC News reported Wednesday that her family is calling on American officials to help secure her release. Her husband has pursued that effort publicly for months, meeting with officials, joining other families of detainees and urging the administration to make her case a priority.
Jezler traveled to Russia in June 2022 to help care for her older sister and young niece, according to her family and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation. Her supporters say she arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport carrying vitamins, supplements and CBD capsules that she voluntarily declared to customs officials. They say she had carried and declared similar products on earlier trips without being detained.
According to her family and advocates, Russian authorities allowed Jezler to leave the airport but summoned her back several days later and arrested her. She was accused of drug trafficking and eventually sentenced to 10 years in a Russian prison. Her supporters say the CBD product was wrongly classified during the case as prohibited hashish oil. Russian authorities have treated the substance as illegal under the prosecution that led to her conviction.
Questions over Jezler’s health have added urgency to her family’s campaign. The Associated Press reported in August that she had been diagnosed with endometriosis and had an ovarian growth that her husband and advocates feared could threaten her health and ability to have children. They have also raised concerns about the level of medical care available to her in Russian custody.
Harold Jezler told the AP in August that seeing the weakened condition of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman after his release from Russia made him worry about what prolonged detention could mean for his wife. “Is this what it takes for the government to really make a move and prioritize this — that the person is basically in dire straits?” he said at the time.
Earlier this year, Jezler said he was speaking with his wife about once a week and exchanging letters with her. In a May interview with CNN, he said she was remaining strong but that years of imprisonment were taking a toll. At that point, he said she had spent more than half of their marriage behind bars.
Her case is part of a broader dispute over Americans imprisoned in Russia. Families and advocacy organizations have urged Washington to seek the release of several detainees, including people with serious medical problems. In August, a group of U.S. senators also pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio over cases involving Jezler and other detainees. The State Department has separately warned Americans against traveling to Russia, citing the danger of wrongful detention, limited consular access and arbitrary enforcement of Russian law.
Hubbard’s release demonstrated that negotiations between Washington and Moscow can still produce individual releases despite continuing tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. It did not, however, come with any publicly announced agreement covering Jezler or the other detainees whose families are seeking U.S. assistance.
For Harold Jezler, Hubbard’s return has therefore brought both hope and renewed pressure. Olga Jezler remains imprisoned in Russia, and no confirmed release date or agreement for her return has been announced. Her family continues to ask U.S. officials to make her release part of their discussions with Moscow.
Author note: Last updated October 21, 2026.