00:00 We begin with Bakersfield native Michael Travis Leake, who was arrested in Russia back in
00:04 June.
00:05 He had been living primarily in Russia since 2010.
00:07 He worked as both an English teacher and a musician with two Russian rock bands.
00:12 Leake's arrest followed the U.S. accusing Russia of jailing Americans on false charges,
00:16 including the likes of WNBA star Brittany Griner and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan
00:20 Gershkovich.
00:22 Though the State Department has not commented on Leake's case, his mother believes he has
00:25 been caught in the crossfire of rising political tensions.
00:29 23 ABC's Cory O'Leary sat down with her today to learn more about her son's current situation.
00:35 I have been able to correspond with him via letters because I have a contact, a friend
00:41 of his in Russia.
00:43 What has your son been telling you through these letters?
00:46 He's told me, you know, like he's been in three different prisons, 11 different cells.
00:51 They're all pretty bad.
00:52 They're all pretty deplorable.
00:55 He's hungry all the time.
00:56 He's had bronchitis a couple of times.
00:58 He says, you know, he got that because they make him sleep on the floor some of the time.
01:01 He doesn't always have a bed to sleep in.
01:03 What are some of your fears and worries, you know, moving forward as his detention continues?
01:08 I just worry about his mental, you know, how long he can hold up mentally and physically.
01:13 And I mean, his words are desperate.
01:16 You know, you got to get me out of here.
01:18 I'm going to die in here.
01:19 You know, they're trying to kill me.
01:20 I mean, it's heart-wrenching.
01:23 And when we first interviewed you, we asked you if you thought the charges were legitimate.
01:28 You said you hope not.
01:30 I feel confident now they're not legitimate.
01:34 Because he's told me for one thing, and because I've read what his other friends or colleagues
01:40 in Russia have said in his defense, that they couldn't have not known about it, you know,
01:45 if he was doing such a thing.
01:47 Do you feel like your son is going to get a fair trial?
01:51 I don't.
01:52 I'm afraid he's not going to.
01:54 Looking forward, what are your hopes?
01:56 My biggest hope would be he'd be exonerated.
01:59 It's not my thoughts that it will probably happen that simply, but to get him on the
02:04 wrongfully detained and maybe get him traded, you know, get him out of there somehow.
02:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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