Russia released a U.S. citizen and former Marine from its detention center on humanitarian grounds, according to a statement made on Tuesday by a spokesperson for the State Department. Robert Gilman spent four years in Russian confinement, and now, at 32 years old, will be reunited with his family.
U.S. Marine Detained in Russia
In 2022, Gilman was detained after an alleged fight with a Russian police officer at a train station. He was sentenced to four and a half years in a prison colony later that year. His family has denied the charges and accused Russian authorities of wrongfully detaining him on the basis that he is an American.
According to the “Free Robert Gilman” website, the former Marine had been teaching English in Moldova. He had established a teaching business in Poland, and after his service in the Marine Corps, he decided to pursue a full-time career in it. However, he began falling ill while traveling through Moscow, and he stopped to recuperate.
He realized that his luggage and passport had been tampered with while he was recovering, and he had to replace them. On January 17, 2022, he was on his way to the US Embassy in Moscow to have his travel document repaired, but became ill once again. Police hit him with a baton at the train station instead of offering help, and took him to the police station.
They mistook his violent vomiting and collapsing as a form of resistance to being detained, and when one of his legs hit one of the officers’ shins, they took him into custody and began charging him with vague offenses. While he was in prison, he was slapped with other charges after being pushed to do certain actions and under physical and mental torture methods.
Robert Gilman Freed
Gilman was released due to severe health concerns, and he is on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas to be medically and psychologically treated, according to the organization assisting his family. His mother was in Russia trying to see him in the hospital, but will now be reunited with him on U.S. soil.
“Thanks to the hard work of President Trump and Special Envoy Witkoff, Mr. Gilman joins over 100 Americans whom the United States has freed during President Trump’s second term in office. This Administration will continue to work for the release of all Americans unjustly detained in Russia, including wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard,” the spokesperson for the State Department said.
President Donald Trump confirmed that Gilman was not a part of a prisoner exchange, but designated a wrongful detainee. Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the U.S. citizen’s release, clarifying, “Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place.“
“Robert will land at Andrews Air Force Base, in Washington, D.C., tonight, where my Representatives, some of whom are on the plane with him, will welcome Robert back to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump wrote on social media Tuesday.
Family Reunited
Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, praised both Trump and Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey for their efforts to bring her brother home in a press release sent by Global Reach, which is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring Americans home who are being wrongfully held abroad.
“The Russians treated my brother so badly,” Hudson said. “They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?“
“I am looking forward to seeing Robert. I haven’t been able to speak with him once since this all began. We will make sure that he gets the treatment and support that he needs.”
Senator Markey lauded Gilman’s release in a post on X while also noting the extreme health condition he is facing. “Approximately 50 days ago, Robert was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor — a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat. He was essentially catatonic and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia,” Markey wrote.
“We don’t yet know the full details of his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery. I’m grateful that Robert is now on his way back to the United States to receive the life-saving care that he desperately needs.”
