Return of Trevor Reed
The return of Trevor Reed was recently confirmed. Trevor Reed, a former Marine American citizen, is now back in the U.S. after 3 years. He was arrested in Russia in 2019.
Reed was imprisoned for nine years in July 2020 for endangering the life and health of Russian police officers. On the return of Trevor Reed, US president Joe Biden said,
“Today, we warmly welcome and celebrate his return. His family indeed had a challenging time without him. I understand how much they had worried about Reed’s health. I say special thanks to those who make it possible to bring him back home safely”.
Why did the Russians arrest Reed?
In May 2019, Reed traveled to Moscow to take Russian lessons as part of his international study program degree at UNT. After three months of arrival in Moscow, he attended a party where he drank a large amount of Vodka.
While returning home, he became nauseous. In a hurry, he started prompting a call to the police. The police report claims Reed grabbed a police officer’s arm as he was being driven to the police station, which caused the vehicle to swerve and endanger the officers’ lives.
His parents said Russian investigators didn’t give evidence and a video that could show what actually happened. The U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, has called them “absurd.”
Since his arrest, Reed has gone on a number of hunger strikes to protest his prison treatment. Last month, Joe and Paula Reed (Trevor’s parents) protested in front of the White House. Their effort bore fruit and ultimately led to a sit-down with President Joe Biden.
Reed’s parents said to Biden, “we have been trying for a long time, but nothing happened. We think this issue may be solved by doing some sort of exchange”. Finally, on April 27, the United States swapped a convicted drug trafficker and Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, for Reed.
Reed’s parents are now feeling blessed on the return of Trevor Reed. They spent Tuesday day cleaning their home, especially his room. They cleared his bed from paperwork and another cluster so he would have a place to sleep.
By: Tayyaba Zareen