Ben Cline Renews Request to Designate Chuck Zimmerman Wrongfully Detained
Representative Ben Cline has renewed his request to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the designation of Chuck Zimmerman, a former Salem resident held in Russia, as "wrongfully detained." Zimmerman was arrested by the Russian Navy in international waters in…
Norfolk Portsmouth Newport News, VA, October 24, 2026 —
Representative Ben Cline has renewed his request to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Chuck Zimmerman, a former Salem resident held in Russia, as “wrongfully detained.” The summary of the request does not state when Cline renewed it or provide details about the earlier request.
Zimmerman was arrested by the Russian Navy in international waters in 2025 and sentenced to five years in prison. The information provided does not identify the precise location of the arrest, the charges against Zimmerman, the court that imposed the sentence or the date of the sentencing.
Cline’s request asks Rubio to make a specific designation concerning Zimmerman’s detention. The information available does not describe the criteria for that designation, whether the State Department has responded, or whether it has made a decision. It also does not provide a statement from Zimmerman, his representatives or Russian authorities.
The details provided establish the core of the case: Cline is pressing the secretary of state to designate Zimmerman as wrongfully detained, and Zimmerman has been sentenced to five years in prison after his 2025 arrest by the Russian Navy in international waters. Further information about the circumstances of the arrest and sentencing was not included.
No additional timeline for Cline’s request or for any potential U.S. government action was provided. The available account does not say where Zimmerman is being held in Russia or whether any appeal or other legal process is underway.
Story summarized from the original created by Dwayne Yancey on cardinalnews.org, see more information here.
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