North Dakota sisters continue to pray for safe return of brother held in Ukrainian jail

Photo by: Kristi Magnusson
Photo by: Kristi Magnusson

Two North Dakota sisters continue their efforts aimed at freeing their brother Kurt Groszhans.  They say he is being held in a Ukrainian jail on false charges. 

"It's not anything anybody ever dreams of having happen to them.  My last communication was just a text message with my brother on November 15th," said Kurt's sister Kristi Magnusson. 

Magnusson and Kimberly Groszhans say their brother is wrongly accused of arranging an assassination plot targeting Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Roman Leshchenko.  Leshchenko was previously a business partner of Kurt Groszahn, who accuses Leschchenko of embezzling $430,000 from his farming business.  

The sisters say they've communicated their concerns to North Dakota Senators Cramer and Hoeven.  They're also hoping the U.S. State Department is working behind the scenes on their brother's behalf.  They're also praying for his safe return, while asking for help from a lawyer with international experience.  The sisters can be reached via email at freedomforkurtatgmail [dot] com.   

Magnusson tell us their brother shared a text with them more than a year ago, in which Leshchenko allegedly threatened Kurt with having him put in jail.