FORT WORTH, Texas — Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine from Fort Worth, resumed his hunger strike due to inadequate care for his health since arriving in a prison hospital in Mordovia, Russia, according to his parents.
Reed has been imprisoned in Russia since August 15, 2019.
According to a statement released by his parents Joey and Paula Reed, Trevor Reed first arrived at the prison hospital after being exposed to Tuberculosis (TB) from a fellow inmate.
Despite being exposed, Reed did not receive a TB test and was sent back to his gulag.
Reed soon asked authorities at his gulag to return to the hospital due to the improper care he received, including an incorrectly done x-ray.
Instead of returning to the hospital, he was sent to solitary confinement, according to his parents.
Reed’s lawyer based in Mordovia confirmed his strike began on Monday out of protest of his lackluster medical treatment from his injuries and TB.
His parents remain concerned about his deteriorating health. Both Paula and Joey Reed last heard from President Biden on March 8, 2022 regarding the safeguarding and well-being of their son.
“We have traveled to Washington, D.C., and beginning tomorrow morning (Wednesday), we will hold a demonstration to raise awareness about Trevor’s case outside the White House,” says the Reed Family. “Each day, we worry that our son will become the next Otto Warmbier. We believe the President (whom we voted for) is the only person who can save our son’s life. The time is now to bring home Trevor, Paul Whelan, and Brittney Griner.”
In addition to being a Marine, Reed was a presidential guard; a unit that guards the president and vice president at the White House and Camp David, during the Obama/Biden Administration.
Reed had traveled to Russia for the summer to visit his long-time girlfriend and to study the language to fulfill the foreign language requirement of his degree program at the University of North Texas.
Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan has called Reed’s conviction ridiculous and said his trial is a theater of the absurd.
In December when Reed was first exposed to the TB-afflicted prisoner, prison officials began prophylaxis for other prisoners except for Reed, despite being in a long and close-contact exposure.
The Reed family states the Russian Government has not provided him any meaningful treatment and has also provided little assistance with the U.S. Embassy working to secure their son’s safety and health.
On Monday, March 7, the Reed family was denied a request to meet with President Biden when he visited Fort Worth. The following day the family held a demonstration to raise awareness of their son’s conditions outside of the presidential event.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the White House was planning a meeting with the family and told them it would be scheduled soon. That same day the Reeds received a call from President Biden apologizing for not stopping to talk with them despite passing their demonstration earlier.
The Reeds were told they would hear from staffers soon to schedule a meeting with President Biden. They have not heard back since.
