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Washington, D.C. – Gordon Black, a 35-year-old soldier of the United States Army, has found himself in a precarious situation after being detained in Russia on allegations of criminal misconduct. His mother, Melody Jones, shared in an interview with “Good Morning America” that Black was on a two-week leave from his duty station in South Korea when he decided to visit his girlfriend in Vladivostok, Russia.
Jones expressed her initial concerns about her son’s trip, stating, “I told him I was really uncomfortable. I had a bad feeling about him going, but he went anyway.” Despite these maternal apprehensions, Black traveled to Russia where he was detained upon arrival. He reportedly faced extensive questioning by Russian authorities at the airport for about nine hours, focusing on the reasons for his visit.
The relationship between Black and his girlfriend began over a year ago when they met in a club in South Korea. His girlfriend, according to Jones, was later deported back to Russia following a dispute between the couple in the fall of 2023.
The US Army and the Department of State have been notified of Black’s detention, which is in compliance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. “The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention,” Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith confirmed. The State Department is actively working to provide consular support to Black and is attempting to gain access to him, although they have yet to meet with him.
Black is currently held in pretrial detention with expectations that his detainment could be extended past the initial July 1 deadline. The situation is particularly distressing for Jones, who voiced her fears about her son’s well-being: “I cry at night. I’m hoping he’s not being tortured or hurt.”
This incident adds to the growing list of US citizens detained in Russia in recent years, including high-profile cases like Marine veteran Paul Whelan, WNBA star Brittney Griner, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The ongoing geopolitical tensions between the US and Russia, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, continue to complicate diplomatic and consular efforts.
Source: ABC News
