AP
The mother and father of Trevor Reed, a former US Marine who has been detained in Russia since 2019, protested outside the White House on Wednesday, calling for a gathering with President Biden that they are saying was “promised.”
“It was 22 days ago when the president said that he would have someone call us immediately when he got back to DC and set it up,” Paula Reed, Trevor’s mom, instructed CNN.
“The office staff have not called us. And we wanted to be here to bring attention to Trevor’s case and to let them know that we did not forget. We’re waiting for that phone call and we want the meeting the president promised us.”
Paula and her husband, Joey, are stationed in entrance of the North Lawn of the White House, sporting T-shirts with their son’s picture printed on them together with the legend: “Free Trevor Reed: Wrongfully Imprisoned by Russia since 2019.” They additionally hung a large red banner with Trevor’s picture and the identical textual content.
The Reeds intend to remain outside the White House till Friday, although Paul Reed instructed CNN Wednesday that “if we need to stay longer, we might do that.”
Wednesday afternoon, Biden instructed reporters he was “going to see” if he “can get to see” the Reeds, whom he described as “good people.”
When pressed on whether or not he would meet with them, Biden mentioned, “we’re trying to work that out.”
Trevor Reed was sentenced to 9 years in jail in July 2020 after being convicted of assaulting two Russian law enforcement officials after he reportedly grew to become blackout drunk at a celebration the earlier yr. Reed’s household and supporters say he was convicted of trumped-up fees so the Kremlin may use him as a political bargaining chip.
On Wednesday, Reed’s mother and father mentioned Trevor had launched into a starvation strike to protest his therapy by Russian officers — the second since he started his sentence.
“Trevor had some injury where he thinks he might have a broken rib. Plus, he has all the symptoms of active tuberculosis. He went to a prison hospital for about 10 days. And they didn’t treat him,” Joey Reed mentioned.
Reed’s father added that his son requested to remain in the hospital however was as a substitute put in solitary confinement. While in jail, Trevor, 30, has been coughing up blood and has “something protruding out of his side,” his father claimed.
The solely therapy Reed has reportedly been supplied with is aspirin.
Biden spoke with the previous Marine’s household over the telephone earlier this month, after failing to meet with them face-to-face throughout a visit to Texas.
According to the White House, the president reiterated “his commitment to doing everything he can to bring their son home.”
At the time, press secretary Jen Psaki indicated that whereas an in-person assembly didn’t occur throughout the president’s go to, the White House was “working on a time for the president to meet with his family over the short term.”
“I don’t have a time or date on that or anything like that, but that is something we are going to work toward,” she instructed reporters.
The White House didn’t instantly reply to The Post’s request for remark.
