Russia has released Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine who had been imprisoned for over four years. A group advocating for his freedom announced his release Tuesday, stating he was held under abusive conditions and was gravely ill.
Gilman, 32, is reportedly on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas for medical and psychological assessment and treatment. His family, including his mother who had been in Russia attempting to see him, has joined him in Texas.
Gilman, a teacher, was detained in 2022. He was initially sentenced to 3 1/2 years after being convicted of beating a police officer. His sentence was later extended, and he received a conviction for attacking a prison inspector, beating an investigator, and assaulting a guard, leading to a sentence of eight years and one month in October 2024. His sentence was further extended last year to 10 years following a guilty verdict for assaulting prison guards.
According to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, a group working for the release of American detainees abroad, Gilman had been in a “dissociative stupor” for 47 days prior to his release due to the alleged abuse. He had been moved from a prison to a civilian hospital where he was handcuffed to a bed and connected to a feeding tube.
U.S. Senator Edward Markey had previously called for cooperation between Russia and the U.S. for Gilman's release. Gilman is one of at least eight Americans remaining in Russian custody following several high-profile prisoner exchanges between the two countries in recent years.