My brother, David Barnes’ children were kidnapped by his ex-wife in March 2019 and taken to Russia. For over a year, David did not know where his two boys were. After much research and working with organizations such as the FBI and others, she was found to be living in Russia.

In December 2021 after Covid restrictions were lifted, David flew to Russia with the hope of getting legal visitation to see his children who he missed dearly. He had already hired an attorney to help him navigate the visitation process in Russia prior to leaving the United States. He was there for three weeks when his ex-wife found out he was in Russia. She immediately contacted the authorities telling them that David was there to kidnap the boys and he had sexually abused his children in the United States. David was subsequently picked up, interrogated and detained on January 13, 2022.

After a kangaroo trial that lasted over a year, the judge sentenced David to 21 years in a penal colony! He was convicted solely on the word of his ex-wife; there was no evidence whatsoever that David committed a crime.

Please keep David in your prayers as he navigates this unimaginable ordeal.