Alabama native remains in Russian jail after prisoner swap: ‘Why aren’t they helping him?’
The family of an Alabama man who has been held in Russia for more than two years is still hopeful that he may yet return home, even after he was left out of a large-scale prisoner swap earlier this month.
Last week, the U.S., Russia and several other countries exchanged 26 prisoners, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan.
Both had been convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considered baseless. The exchange included prisoners held in the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
But not included was David Barnes, 66, an Alabama native who has been held in Russia for the past two years on charges his family says are baseless, and for which he was exonerated by U.S. law enforcement.
The family of an Alabama man who has been held in Russia for more than two years is still hopeful that he may yet return home, even after he was left out of a large-scale prisoner swap earlier this month.
Last week, the U.S., Russia and several other countries exchanged 26 prisoners, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan.
Both had been convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considered baseless. The exchange included prisoners held in the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
But not included was David Barnes, 66, an Alabama native who has been held in Russia for the past two years on charges his family says are baseless, and for which he was exonerated by U.S. law enforcement.
My San Antonio: Man in Russian prison on sexual abuse charges dismissed by Texas law
David Barnes, a man detained in Russia since 2022, is now going to serve prison time in Russia for charges that were originally dismissed by Texas law enforcement. Barnes was convicted and sentenced to 21 years in a Russian prison over claims from his now ex-wife that he sexually abused his two sons, CBS News reports.
Barnes' lawyer Gleb Glinka, told CBS News that he was shocked by the sentencing because Texas law enforcement officials looked into the sexual abuse allegations made by his ex-wife, Svetlana Koptyaeva, during a custody battle in 2014. Barnes was investigated and cleared due to lack of evidence, Glinka told CBS News.
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ABC News: American David Barnes' conviction in Russia 'based on lies,' sister says
On Tuesday David Barnes of Texas became the latest American to be convicted and sentenced in a Russian court on what experts say are trumped-up charges with little evidence.
Svetlana Koptyaeva, Barnes' ex-wife and a Russian national, accused him of sexually abusing their two sons between 2014 and 2018.
Barnes denied the claims and Texas authorities found insufficient evidence to charge him.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
ABC News: Moscow court finds American father guilty of child abuse; sister says he's innocent
ABC News's Linsey Davis speaks with David Barnes' sister Margaret after a court sentenced him to 21 years in prison, convicting him of abusing his sons. His family claims there's no evidence of guilt.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
WAAY: North Alabama family asking government for help to bring brother sentenced in Russia home to US
A Huntsville family is asking United States leaders for help to bring their brother back home.
A Russian judge convicted 66-year-old David Barnes of abusing his two sons in the US. He was sentenced to 21 years in a high security Russian penal colony.
Barnes' North Alabama family members are hoping the US government can help get their brother on the wrongfully detained list. Alabama State Rep. Dale Strong tells WAAY 31 after North Alabama residents reached out to his office for help, he immediately reached out to the US Embassy in Moscow.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
CBS News: Russia court sentences American David Barnes to prison on sexual abuse claims dismissed by Texas authorities
A Russian court convicted an American man of sexually abusing his two sons Tuesday and sentenced him to more than two decades in prison over claims made by his Russian ex-wife. David Barnes' lawyer told CBS News the ruling had left them shocked, given the lack of evidence and the fact that law enforcement officials in Texas, where the alleged incidents took place, had looked into the allegations and never found cause to file charges.
Barnes was sentenced to 21 years in a high security Russian penal colony by a Moscow court on Tuesday for abuses that alleged took place in Texas between 2014 and 2018. Barnes was found guilty on the charge of "violent acts of a sexual nature committed against a person under the age of fourteen," according to pro-Kremlin Russian news outlet Pravda.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Daily Mail: Texas dad David Barnes, 66, is jailed for 21 years in Moscow after court there finds him guilty of abusing his two sons… even though US police found no basis to charge him
A Texas father of two was sentenced to 21 years in prison in Moscow on Tuesday after a court found him guilty of abusing his two sons while in the US.
David Barnes, 66, was first arrested in January 2022 shortly after he arrived in Russia to visit his children and their mother, his ex-wife, Svetlana Koptyaeva. At the time, Barnes was applying for visitation rights.
Koptyaeva was accused of taking the children from their home in the US unlawfully, prompting an Interpol alert for the two boys. The couple had an acrimonious divorce in which she accused him of sexually abusing their children.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
AL.com: Alabama native David Barnes sentenced to 21 years in Russian prison
An Alabama native held in a Russian prison for the past two years was sentenced to 21 years in a penal colony Tuesday on charges for which he had previously been exonerated in the U.S.
David Barnes, 66, was found guilty by a Russian judge of abusing his two sons in Texas, according to ABC News. Barnes’ attorney, Gleb Glinka, plans an appeal.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
ABC News: David Barnes, American detained in Russia, found guilty by Moscow judge
A Russian judge convicted a Texas man on Tuesday of abusing his two sons between 2014 and 2018 in the United States, even though the law enforcement officials in suburban Houston who previously investigated the allegations never found cause to file charges.
David Barnes, 66, was sentenced to 21 years in a high-security Russian penal colony. His attorney, Gleb Glinka, said he is planning to appeal.
"Frankly, I'm horrified," Glinka told ABC News outside the courthouse. "There was almost no evidence that the court could base that verdict on."
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
ABC News: Trial begins for David Barnes, Texas man detained in Russia
A Texas father being held in Russia on accusations that were not substantiated by law enforcement in his home state of Texas is now facing trial before a Moscow judge.
Ten months ago, Russian police took David Barnes into custody and alleged that between 2014 and 2018 he committed child abuse in suburban Houston. His trial began on Nov. 16.
"Their trials seem to be like a circus," said Margaret Aaron, Barnes' younger sister. "I'm praying to God for a miracle."
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
American detained in Russia plans to testify in his own defense
A Texas man who is currently on trial in Russia over child abuse allegations plans to take the stand in his own defense.
David Barnes, who has been detained in Moscow for nearly two years, is expected to testify in front of the judge who will decide his fate at the conclusion of the bench trial. He is slated to be called to the stand after his defense team wraps up their presentation of evidence, though an exact date has not yet been determined since the trial is not occurring on consecutive days.
Barnes appeared in Savelovsky District Court on Monday, telling an ABC News reporter as he left the courtroom in handcuffs that he wanted to “thank America for all their prayers and support.”
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A Texas man who is currently on trial in Russia over child abuse allegations plans to take the stand in his own defense.
David Barnes, who has been detained in Moscow for nearly two years, is expected to testify in front of the judge who will decide his fate at the conclusion of the bench trial. He is slated to be called to the stand after his defense team wraps up their presentation of evidence, though an exact date has not yet been determined since the trial is not occurring on consecutive days.
Barnes appeared in Savelovsky District Court on Monday, telling an ABC News reporter as he left the courtroom in handcuffs that he wanted to “thank America for all their prayers and support.”
The Courier: A Woodlands man says his ex-wife fled to Russia with their children. He's now in Russian jail.
David Barnes spent years devising a plan to go to Russia and at least see his children, with the hope of bringing them home, after his ex-wife fled there following a custody battle that played out in a Montgomery County courtroom.
The 65-year-old man from The Woodlands finally made it to Moscow last December. But since January, he's been in a Russian jail, apparently accused of a crime that Texas authorities also pursued but determined had no merit.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
ABC News: Texas man detained in Russia for months due to 'political purposes': Congressman
More than six months after Texas father David Barnes was arrested by Russian authorities, his family is calling on officials in Washington to do more to try to facilitate his release.
"David's a very caring and empathetic person," his sister, Carol Barnes, told ABC News. "Every minute of every day, my mind is on what he's going through, the hell that he's living in, and how unjust it is."
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
ABC News: Family pleads for release of Texas father held in Russia following custody battle
A Texas man who has spent more than five months in a Russian detention center is facing a different challenge from other recent American detainees such as Trevor Reed and Brittney Griner, as authorities in Moscow are accusing him of wrongdoing in his home country.
David Barnes, a Huntsville, Alabama, native who has lived in the Houston area in recent years, was taken into custody by law enforcement in Moscow in January and has been incarcerated on Russian soil ever since.
"If I could go over there and just sit in that place with him, I would do it in a minute, because this is the most unjust situation I've ever experienced in my entire life," Carol Barnes, David's older sister, told ABC News. "I feel like part of me is missing."
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.