The Long Detention of an American in Russia
As President Donald Trump prepares to travel to Alaska for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the focus is not only on the future of Ukraine but also on the ongoing situation of David Barnes, an American man serving the longest prison sentence in Russia. His family remains hopeful that this high-profile meeting could lead to a prisoner exchange and his release.
David Barnes, who grew up in Alabama, has been detained in Moscow since January 2022. He is currently serving a 21.5-year sentence. His sister, Margaret Aaron, shared her family’s hopes during an interview with ABC News. She expressed pride in her brother’s resilience over the past three and a half years, noting that he has remained strong and hopeful.
Unlike other Americans held in Russia, Barnes was accused of crimes in the United States, not in Russia. However, American law enforcement had no involvement in his prosecution. He was convicted by a Russian judge of abusing his two sons in Texas. Despite this, prosecutors in Montgomery County, Texas, stated that they investigated the allegations after they were reported by Barnes’ Russian ex-wife and found no evidence to support them.
“I do know that everyone that heard and investigated the child sexual abuse allegations raised by Mrs. Barnes during the child custody proceedings did not find them to be credible,” said Kelly Blackburn, Trial Bureau Chief at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Barnes’ ex-wife, Svetlana Koptyaeva, claims that he abused their sons while they were growing up in Texas. She was later charged with felony interference with child custody after allegedly taking the children from Texas to Russia in 2019 during a custody dispute. In 2020, a Texas family court designated Barnes as the primary guardian of his sons. However, since Koptyaeva had taken them out of the country, Barnes decided to travel to Russia after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions to fight for custody or visitation rights in Moscow’s court system.
He was arrested weeks after arriving in Russia and has been in prison ever since. In April, a Moscow judge denied his appeal of the conviction. His family continues to believe in his innocence and hopes for a resolution.
“We really, really need to have him designated as wrongfully detained,” said Aaron. “Hopefully, to start that process, we need the help of Trump and Secretary [Marco] Rubio.”
The upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin comes four months after Russian officials released ballerina Ksenia Karelina to the U.S. through a prisoner exchange. Following her return, she wrote a letter to Trump calling for the release of Barnes along with fellow Americans Robert Gilman and Andre Khachatoorian. Trump shared the letter on social media.
“David Barnes, a Texas father of two sons, has been detained in Russia for far too long under charges already proven to be false, and it is past time for him to be released,” said U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas in a statement. “I urge President Trump and Secretary Rubio to prioritize efforts to bring David and all wrongfully-detained Americans throughout the world home.”
Other Americans previously held in Russia, such as Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, and Brittney Griner, were transferred to penal colonies far from Moscow following their convictions. However, Barnes has been held in Russia’s capital since his arrest.
The U.S. State Department has visited Barnes eight times since his arrest in January 2022, with the last visit occurring in May 2025. As the world watches the upcoming presidential summit in Anchorage, Barnes’ family and friends in the U.S. are closely following developments.
“David’s strength keeps us going,” said Aaron.
