It has been three weeks since anyone has heard from Paul. He had been moved to a prison hospital for most of June but had returned right at the end of the month, after the two Presidents had met. The US Embassy learned at the start of July that Paul had been placed in solitary confinement (the infraction was apparently for having food in a bag) and that's the last anyone has heard from him.

This is the longest stretch of time Paul has been isolated and unable to call our parents or have contact with any embassy since he arrived in Mordovia last autumn. Paul's lawyer, Olga Karlova, emailed the prison monitors (and taught us how too, via hotline at antipytki.ru) on July 8 to ask them to check on Paul. We haven't heard anything about whether anyone has followed up with the prison.

As you may already know, there will be meetings in Geneva on July 28 between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Department. We hope that Paul's case will again be raised in recognition that his release could promote strategic stability.

[July 28 meetings: Russia-US talks on strategic stability to be held on July 28 in Geneva - News – World – Kommersant <https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4908990> ]