Joey and Paula Reed are Trevor Reed’s parents. The parents lobbied the US for years to negotiate for their son’s release, even personally pleading with President Joe Biden to do so.
“He looked like he could hardly walk, he looked like he’d been walking shackled,” Joey Reed said.
The family said their priority is to ensure their son regains his health.
“He just looked terrible to us,” Paula Reed said.
Trevor Reed‘s time in a Russian prison may be over, but his parents expressed concern for his well-being and the long road to recovery ahead of him.
Reed’s parents talked with ABC News’ Anchor David Muir only hours after he was released from a Russian prison as part of an international prisoner swap, saying they are relieved that his nearly three-year detention is over.
Joey and Paula Reed, on the other hand, expressed grave concern for their son’s physical and emotional rehabilitation.
“Trevor was youthful, virile, in good shape, and in good shape when he left. And he isn’t, he isn’t going back that way. So that’s why we’re worried about his health.” During a Wednesday appearance on “World News Tonight” Joey Reed informed Muir.
The parents lobbied the US for years to negotiate for their son’s release, even personally pleading with President Joe Biden to do so. Their desires were fulfilled on Wednesday.
According to Russian officials, Reed was exchanged for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, a convicted drug trafficker.
In a statement, Biden stated, “Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly,” “Trevor, a former US Marine, has been released from Russian custody. Trevor’s parents’ voices conveyed their concern for his health and their want for his presence. And I was overjoyed to be able to share the wonderful news of Trevor’s release with them.”
Reed’s nightmare began in Moscow, where he was visiting his girlfriend. Reed, 30, was arrested after Russian officials claimed he grabbed the steering wheel of a police car while inebriated and assaulted a police officer.
Reed vehemently refuted the accusations and insisted on his innocence. The charges were also disputed by the US government.
Reed was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony a year later. Reed was transferred from a Moscow prison to a remote prison colony after many appeals.
According to his girlfriend, Reed started on a hunger strike in November 2021. According to his relatives, he was held in solitary confinement for three months prior to the hunger strike.
The Reeds staged a protest outside the White House on March 30 and demanded an audience with Vice President Joe Biden.
After the rally, Biden met with the family, and the couple told ABC News that they believed the president was attentive to their wishes.
