American Tyler Jacob freed from Russian detention, Klobuchar says

By Andy Rose, CNN

Tyler Jacob, a native of Minnesota, was freed from detention in Russia on Friday, the office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar said.

“I am relieved that Tyler is safely reunited with his wife and daughter,” Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement. “Over the last two weeks, my team and I have been in close contact with his family, the State Department, and the U.S. embassy in Moscow working towards this outcome, and I am grateful that we were able to help bring him to safety.”

Klobuchar’s office said Jacob, who is originally from the city of Winona, was taken by Russian forces while trying to leave Ukraine and held for 10 days. He was teaching English in Ukraine when the invasion began, according to CNN affiliate WCCO.

A State Department spokesperson told CNN, “We are aware of these reports, but due to privacy considerations have no further comment.”

Jacob’s mother, Tina Hauser, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Friday night that she had gotten to speak with her son in a videoconference. “He looked really tired, but he looked really good, too,” she said. “You could hear the relief in his voice.”

Jacob’s father, John Quinn, told CNN that his son said he had not been mistreated while in Russian custody, but they are very relieved that he will be coming home. “It was a roller coaster,” Quinn said. “It was up and down, the hurdles that we had to get over to get him to safety.”

Quinn added that Jacob had said “they were treating him very well there. He had no complaints at all about how he was treated.”

Klobuchar did not provide details to Lemon about how the US had secured Jacob’s release but said it was through efforts led by the US Embassy in Moscow.

Jacob’s parents said they did not know how long it will take for him to return to the US.

“It can’t be any better than when I heard his voice for the first time,” Hauser said. “It sounded like angels singing in my ear, hearing his voice. It’s going to be astronomical, the feelings that are going to flow through me, when I get to give my son a hug for the first time.”

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CNN’s Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.