Former US Marine Trevor Reed has been released in a prisoner exchange after being detained in Russia since 2019. 

In July 2020, Reed was convicted for nine years in prison for threatening the “life and health” of Russian policemen in an altercation. His family, who denied the charges, recently issued a statement about his release from Russian custody. 

“I’m going to try not to cry, because he doesn’t want me to cry,” Reed’s mother, Paula, told CNN on Wednesday.

 “Obviously, I’m going to cry a little bit, give him a big hug, and just, you know, give him hugs and it will be the four of us together again in a few years, so it’s going to be great,” she added. 

“Our family has been living a nightmare. Today, our prayers have been answered and Trevor is safely on his way back to the United States,” Reed’s family said. 

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“We’d respectfully ask for some privacy while we address the myriad of health issues brought on by the squalid conditions he was subjected to in his Russian gulag,” the family added.   

They went on to express their gratitude to US President Joe Biden “for his kindness, his consideration, and for making the decision to bring Trevor home,” emphasizing that Biden’s help “may have saved Trevor’s life.”

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Confirming the news of his release, Biden welcomed Reed and revealed that he was “delighted to be able to share” the news with Reed’s family. 

“Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly. Trevor, a former U.S. Marine, is free from Russian detention,” Biden said in a statement, according to CNN.

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“I heard in the voices of Trevor’s parents how much they’ve worried about his health and missed his presence. And I was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about Trevor’s freedom,” he added. 

“The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly. His safe return is a testament to the priority my Administration places on bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad,” Biden concluded. 

According to a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Telegram, Reed was released from the prison in exchange for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko.