Russia Frees Former US Marine Robert Gilman

Russia has freed 32-year-old US citizen and former Marine Robert Gilman, who had been imprisoned since 2022. On humanitarian grounds and amid serious health issues, Russian president Vladimir Putin pardoned the American, according to US officials.

On August 11, Gilman left Russia on a US State Department plane. He was accompanied by his mother, Nina, and four doctors monitored the American’s condition during the flight. According to one of the officials, Gilman could walk and talk on his own after release. Once back in the US, he’s expected to undergo evaluation and treatment.

Washington had sought Gilman’s release precisely because of his health. A representative of the organization Global Reach, which assisted Gilman’s family, previously told Reuters that at the end of June the inmate was transferred from a prison hospital to the psychiatric department of a civilian clinic, where he was assessed as being in a dissociative stupor.

The release was not part of a prisoner exchange. According to US officials, the United States gave up no prisoners or other concessions to Russia. The decision followed talks between representatives of both countries, with Washington calling it a humanitarian step.

Gilman was detained in Voronezh in January 2022 while traveling by train. Russian authorities alleged he was drunk and kicked a police officer. Gilman’s family disputed that account: his father said the son had fallen ill and made contact with the officer accidentally. The American was sentenced to 4½ years in prison.

Gilman served in the US Marine Corps from August 2019 through August 2020. Shortly before his release, the State Department formally designated him as a wrongfully detained American. The US side said it would keep pushing for the freedom of other American nationals who remain in Russian custody, including Stephen Hubbard.

Information used: Reuters, US State Department