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St Elizabeth St Brigid Prayer Request from Rev. John G. Hillier

Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 6, 2025 Peapack, NJ

Please Pray for Wilgus Family - Fr. Hillier

US Embassy - Moscow Finally Speaks with Jimmy

July 30, 2025. Our phone call was delayed by one day due to administrative issues at the prison; however, I spoke with Jimmy and Tom this morning. Our discussion was brief, and they both mentioned that a guard was listening to the conversation. Of course, we knew the call would be monitored, so that was not a surprise.

Jimmy said to send his love. He confirmed that the prison is closing and that he would like us to request that he and Tom be transferred to Moscow. I told him that we would do so, but I could not guarantee that the request would be approved. He said he understood. I asked about his health, and he said that he has been suffering from back pain. He planned to visit the nurse in the afternoon, but he stated that he didn't want to go to a hospital colony and asked that we not submit a request for medical care on his behalf. He inquired about the other times they had been summoned to the office to receive phone calls from the Embassy, and I explained that our office had not been informed of permission to call and had not received instructions to contact them.

Tom listened to Jimmy's part of the conversation and said that he had heard everything. I asked about his health, and he mentioned needing dental work, a prostate check, and a cancer screening. However, he also stated that it would be possible to get those procedures done properly at the prison and said that there was no point in requesting them. Mr. Wilgus, he also asked you to tell his family hello for him. He closed out the conversation by stating that he and Jimmy had been treated courteously and that he appreciated the staff who had done so. (I assume this was for the benefit of the Russian guard listening.)

We have our request in to visit them both on August 19. We will submit a request for their transfer to Moscow and hope it is approved.

Americans Jimmy and Tom Stwalley Will be Moved to Siberia When IK-7 Closes by End of 2025.

July 27, 2025. Russia is gradually closing penal colonies and prisons because most prisoners, both Russian and foreigners, have “volunteered” to fight in the Russia-Ukraine War. Penal Colony IK-17 closed so Jimmy and Thomas Stwalley, the other American, were transferred to Penal Colony IK-7 in early June 2025. No one has heard from Jimmy since June 4, 2025. Since the Embassy has not been able to contact Jimmy, we asked Jimmy’s wife to call the attorney in Mordovia, Andrei Vikanov, to ask him to visit Jimmy and assess his situation. He was able to visit on July 24 and Jimmy gave him a message for us. Here is that message:

“This message is for my wife, my parents, the US Embassy, and anyone who can help.

After we arrived here at Colony #7, our bags were illegally searched as we were not present during the search. They stole winter clothing, shower equipment, shoes, a water filter, and several other items that we have a legal right to possess. We will have to replace these things at our own expense.

Colony #7 is approximately 10 times the size of colony #17 and the walk to the factory every morning is probably 1 kilometer over rocky, muddy ground. It is filled with condemned buildings and rats.

Upon arrival, I filled out the necessary paperwork to have my phone activated, and as of today, July 24th, the administration has refused to turn on the phone for almost two months. I haven’t spoken to my wife, my parents, or the US Embassy since being here.

Almost one year after the release of Evan Gershowitz and Paul Whelan, Tommy and I are being treated as hostages more than ever before. We have no rights. Today, July 24th, I am being visited by a local lawyer. He was hired by my wife as it is forbidden now for lawyers to have contact with the continental US. That’s what he told me. So I’m sitting here writing this letter so my lawyer can send it to Elena who will send it to my parents.

Here's a bomb. On July 1st, the administration of this colony gathered us into the TV room of my barrack and made an announcement. This colony is scheduled to be closed between October and November, three months from now. All prisoners, Russian, Cuban and American, yes, he specified Americans, will be sent out to the cold, brutal Siberian colonies of Omsk and Krasnoyarsk. The temperature in the winter is in the negative 40’s Fahrenheit. Without help from our government, the only way we can avoid this is to sign up to go to Colony 19 here in Mordovia. This is the only men's colony still open in this entire region. To the best of my knowledge, on 2 occasions, recruiters from Colony 19 visited here to convince prisoners to sign up to be transferred to Colony 19.

Military recruiters from the government have been here to get prisoners to go to Ukraine. Yes, 5 suckers have signed up to go to Donbas, but as far as I know, no one wants to go to Colony #19. It’s a hospital colony for drug addicts and is known for being a place of punishment, strict regime, and beatings.

I believe I have a legal right to be relocated close to my wife in Moscow. Elena attempted to do this years ago, but her requests were all ignored. If I could speak to my embassy, I would plead with them to help make this happen. I would beg them for Ambassador assistance and maybe Secretary Rubio. With the options facing us this is even more important. One big problem is that Tommy has no family in Moscow. Tommy and I must stay together. He cannot go to Siberia alone. He is in his 60’s and weak. I cannot leave him behind. Please, America, do not let this happen to us. We must both be moved closer to Moscow.

I work in the factory 46 hours a week. There is no pay. There is no medicine in the factory, and it is difficult to find any guards if anything serious occurs. If anyone has a stroke, they will die. I already had one stroke. Another one in this place will be fatal. The nurse's office is an 800-meter walk in which 5 gates need to be unlocked by a guard with a key. Even if we get there the nurse probably won't even be working that day. Our blood pressure has never been checked since we arrived here.

On July 14th, I was instructed not to go to work. Tommy and I waited in the office building for over an hour. We were told the embassy was scheduled to call us. We were threatened not to complain and to keep the call down to about 20 seconds. The call never happened. The administration said the embassy never called and we were sent back. This administration is playing games, and they don’t want us to talk to anybody.

On July 17th, the growing pain in my back became crippling. The medical office is only open during breakfast, so Tommy and I had to skip breakfast to go there and ask for help. I needed Tommy’s help because I had trouble walking. The nurse told us their ludicrous procedure prevented her from looking at me and administering any treatment until after I partake in morning exercise. She told us to go to roll call, then walk all the way to the factory. Once in the factory I must locate a guard and convince him to open the gates and escort me back to the medical office.

I need to stop recording. This meeting with the lawyer is being cut short by a guard.

In May, President Trump and Putin publicly agreed to trade 9 for 9 prisoners. 2 months later, things are only getting worse. Between Trump and Putin, and here in prison. Why is this happening? Thank you, we love you all very much. That’s it.”

In addition to Jimmy’s comments, the attorney offered his personal observations:

1.Jimmy has lost a lot of weight since I saw him last year.

2. There's no technical reason why Jimmy cannot be allowed to make phone calls. He asked me not to question the prison officials because any questioning will come back to hurt Jimmy directly.

3. Jimmy asks me to write a petition for parole, knowing that it is useless, but still wants formal refusal. I tried to dissuade him, but to no avail.

4. He asks you to act as a resident trustee for Thomas and pay for my services in his defense. He has provided me with a cassation complaint and Thomas's verdict, which I can send to you if you wish. I can't send it on my own behalf because I'm not providing legal assistance to Thomas.

5. Jimmy says that some of the staff in IК 7 are good people. Most hate Americans. He says that there is a prisoner in IК 7 who constantly verbally abuses American prisoners.

6. The food in the colony consists of potatoes, pasta, and cabbage. Jimmy's waiting for a package from his wife in August.

That’s the latest from Jimmy. If anybody has any ideas on how to get them out of this decaying quagmire, please just do it or tell Bella and me what we need to do. Time is running out. Thank you for your continued loyalty and God Bless.

Jimmy Wilgus Transferred to Penal Colony IK-7

June 30, 2025. On June 4 Jimmy made a quick call to us to say he was being transferred in the morning to a different labor camp, IK-7. We waited until 3 days with no word from anyone so we contacted the US Embassy in Moscow asking if they knew of his whereabouts. They didn’t even know he was missing. On June 17, they located him and advised us that Jimmy was transferred to IK-7 in Mordovia. We still have not heard from Jimmy. The Embassy said they called the prison and was told Jimmy had to complete forms to use his phone card. The card had plenty of money on it so that was no excuse. As of June 30, 26 days later, Jimmy still has not called. Not even his wife in Moscow has heard from him. We know nothing of his condition after the transfer. The Embassy said they plan to send someone to visit the prison in September. We pray Jimmy will call soon. It seems Jimmy is still the Forgotten American.

Jimmy Wilgus To Be Transferred to Penal Colony IK-7

June 12, 2025. For several months Jimmy was being told by other prisoners that IK-17 would be closing. We asked the US Embassy about this and were told it was probably a rumor. It was finally formalized on June 1 and all prisoners were told that Penal Colony IK-17 would close on June 9, 2025. All prisoners would be transferred to other locations. The Russian citizens were all shipped out on June 2. Foreigners started going on June 3. On June 4 Jimmy was told he would be transferred in the morning to Penal Colony IK-7, about a half hour from IK-17, but still in Mordovia. Jimmy called to let us know as he was packing up his possessions. He asked the prison administration for his street clothes and was told they were lost. He had no recourse. His fellow American, Tom Stwalley, called us on the morning of June 5 to advise Jimmy was taken away early that morning and we haven't heard from him since. That was 7 days ago. He was sent alone without Tom Stwalley. Since we don't know Jimmy's status for certain, we asked the US Embassy in Moscow to contact the prison officials in Moscow, FSIN, to confirm Jimmy is okay, where is he, and to please authorize him to use a prison phone to call his family. We were told they knew nothing about Jimmy being moved. There is still no word from the Embassy as of June 11. We pray he is alright and will be able to call us soon.

Meet a wrongfully detained American prisoner in Russia that everyone should know about.
This is the story of Jimmy Wilgus.

Greta Van Susteren THE RECORD - NEWSMAX TV

Jimmy Wilgus Transferred to Penal Colony IK-7
June 9, 2025
Newsmax

Legal Fight for Jimmy Wilgus' Release

Our Ultimate Goal

For more than 8.5 years we have been pleading with the State Department, and various legislators for their support, to classify our son James (aka Jimmy) Vincent Wilgus as wrongfully detained.

Our request was based on Jimmy being sentenced for a crime he did not commit. This has been a long and frustrating struggle with our own government, which is unconscionable, since Jimmy, and his family, are patriotic, law-abiding American citizens, and whose father and grandfather served in the U.S. military.

After 8.5 years of abusive incarceration, the reason for Jimmy being detained in a Russian Labor Camp is overshadowed by the inhumane treatment he has received. The violations inflicted against Jimmy, which are described in the Levinson Act, take precedence over any accusations created by the Russian judicial system. It’s time to enforce American law.

Since the U.S. Congress passed the Robert Levinson Hostage-Taking Accountability Act in 2020, we have pleaded with Sec. Blinken and Sec. Rubio to enforce the Act and negotiate the release of Jimmy from Russian custody. This is now a law that allows the use of U.S. Government resources to bring back Americans held hostage who are wrongfully or unlawfully detained abroad. Section 2 of the Act establishes guidelines to assist the Secretary of State to determine which prisoners qualify. It's our belief that several guidelines in Section 2 apply to all Americans in Russian prisons, especially Jimmy, who also has medical issues.

To be specific, we call your attention to Item 8, which clearly provides justification to classify an American as unlawfully detained, “The individual is detained in a country where the Department of State has determined in its annual human rights reports that the judicial system is not independent or impartial, is susceptible to corruption, or is incapable of rendering just verdicts”.

In March 2023, the State Department released its annual report on human rights violations for the year 2022. An excerpt is as follows:

“It is important to note that human rights violations are a regular feature of many of the camps in Russia, according to the U.S. State Department, human rights groups, and others who have maintained regular contact with prisoners in Russia. Physical and sexual abuse by prison guards is systemic, and torture of prisoners is pervasive, at times resulting in death or suicide”.

Further, on May 18, 2023, Former Deputy Secretary of State and U. S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Jake Sullivan (2020-2022), stated the following in Senate hearings of the Foreign Relations Committee:

"...it's a Potemkin court, it is used by the Russian security services and the Kremlin to achieve their policy. There is no justice, there’s no independent judiciary.”

Based on these reports, we question why the Secretary of State is reluctant to classify all Americans in Russian prisons as unlawfully detained?

As further justification, we refer to Item 9 which states, “The individual is being detained in inhumane conditions.”, and Item 10, “Due process of law has been sufficiently impaired so as to render the detention arbitrary.”

For the reasons noted above, we ask that advocates for Jimmy focus on the Secretary of State to implement the Levinson Act and the justifiable classification of “unlawfully detained” for Jimmy Wilgus and all Americans detained in Russia.

Jimmy is now entering a brutal, incomprehensible 9th year of a 12.5-year sentence in a Russian prison, longer than any American released to date. He is forced to work in a factory 6 days/week unless he is sent to solitary confinement, which has been most of his first 5 years at IK-17. He has maintained a positive attitude believing it’s a matter of time before his country will come to his aid.
The fight for Jimmy's freedom remains paramount and has never been more critical due to his deteriorating medical condition. After a stroke the Russian’s denied him an MRI recommended by a doctor and ordered by a Judge. It’s imperative to secure Jimmy’s freedom, or at least get him the professional diagnoses and proper medical care now, before it’s too late.
While Jimmy continues to suffer this total injustice of human rights, we ask for your prayers, support and advocacy in petitioning the U. S. Government to bring Jimmy home. He is an American citizen and should not be a victim of discrimination.
This is a matter of justice. It's a matter of potentially permanent medical impairment. Jimmy did not deserve this. His strength has allowed him to survive the first 6 years, but a stroke has taken away his strength. He must not be forced to serve the rest of his sentence in a Russian prison.
As a father who served in the military, I am pleading with my Government to bring Jimmy home along with every detained American. They have all suffered injustice to some degree and are therefore wrongfully detained. Is America’s motto still true, “Leave no one behind”?
Unfortunately those arrested in Russia are assumed guilty until they prove their innocence. Over 99% charged are found guilty and receive severe jail time. They have no chance. One day of imprisonment of an innocent person who is wrongfully detained in a Russian Labor Camp is one day too long. Give them back their freedom.
Russia has denied Jimmy of 3 basic human rights: His freedom, by unjustly putting him behind bars; His dignity, by publishing false accusations about his arrest; His health by refusing to provide proper medical care. We call on President Trump to bring Jimmy home now.
Jimmy needs his freedom. He needs to get back to who he is before this unjust interruption of his career.

FREE JIMMY WILGUS