Robert Gilman released by Russia after four years in prison

The former U.S. Marine, detained in Russia since 2022, was transferred to a hospital after a serious deterioration in his health and is now returning to the United States

Robert Gilman has been released by Russia after four years in detention, according to Eric Lebson of Global Reach, the organization that has worked on his case. The 32-year-old former U.S. Marine left Russia for Washington and will then travel to Texas, where he is expected to undergo medical examinations and receive treatment.

Gilman had been transferred to a hospital in recent weeks following a serious deterioration in his health. According to Lebson, doctors diagnosed him with a condition described as “dissociative stupor.”

President Donald Trump said Russia had agreed to release Gilman “on humanitarian grounds” following his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said the release did not involve an exchange.

“We appreciate this decision and the fact that Russia did not ask for anyone in return,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that “there was no exchange.”

Trump also said he had spoken with Gilman shortly before his return and joked that the former Marine had made one request: a large cheeseburger upon his arrival in the United States.

Trump accompanied his statement with a photograph of Gilman aboard the plane taking him back to the United States, alongside his mother, Nancy. The former Marine’s visibly emaciated appearance reflects the four years he spent in detention.

“During my administration, we have prioritized bringing detained Americans home and have done so at a level never seen before, bringing hundreds of people back to their families,” Trump wrote.

The president also thanked members of his administration involved in the case, including special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff, special envoy for hostages Adam Boehler, counterterrorism director Sebastian Gorka and Jared Kushner.

The State Department also issued a statement welcoming Gilman’s release.

“We thank Russia for working with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the release of Gilman so that he can receive the medical care he needs here in the United States,” the department said. It described the release as a positive step while continuing to call for the immediate release of all Americans it considers wrongfully detained, including Stephen Hubbard.

Gilman was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in August 2020. He was arrested in Voronezh in January 2022. According to Russian media reports, he was initially detained on allegations that he kicked a police officer while intoxicated and was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison.

He later received an additional eight-year sentence after being accused of assaulting prison guards.

Gilman had been held at a prison in Voronezh, about 500 kilometers south of Moscow, before being transferred to a hospital at the end of June following the deterioration of his condition.

His release now allows him to return to the United States, where he is expected to receive medical care in Texas.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)