Marine Veteran Freed After Nearly 4 Years in Russian Prison, Heading to Texas for Treatment
Robert Gilman, 32, was released on humanitarian grounds after Trump's talks with Putin — arriving home after what advocates say were 47 days in a 'dissociative stupor' from alleged abuse.
A former U.S. Marine held in Russian custody for nearly four years has been released and is headed to a U.S. military hospital in Texas for medical and psychological evaluation, according to his advocates and U.S. officials.
Robert Gilman, 32, was detained in Russia in 2022 after being pulled off a train for causing a disturbance; he was later convicted on charges of assaulting a police officer and sentenced to three and a half years, a case the State Department determined amounted to wrongful detention. He was released Tuesday on what President Trump described as humanitarian grounds following his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
No Exchange, Trump Says
Trump said Russia asked for nothing in return for Gilman's release and that no prisoner swap took place — a departure from the negotiated exchanges that freed other wrongfully detained Americans, including journalist Evan Gershkovich and radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, in past years.
Advocates say Gilman's ordeal took a severe toll: before his release, he had reportedly spent 47 days in what family members and supporters described as a dissociative stupor, attributing his condition to abuse suffered in custody. He is now headed to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where doctors will assess and treat him.
BEFORE GILMAN WAS FLOWN OUT OF RUSSIA, HE HAD BEEN IN 'A DISSOCIATIVE STUPOR' FOR 47 DAYS DUE TO THE ABUSE HE HAD SUFFERED IN PRISON.
Gilman's case is the latest in a string of Americans detained in Russia on charges the U.S. government has disputed, part of a broader pattern that has strained relations between Washington and Moscow even as the two governments have periodically negotiated individual releases. His release comes as the Trump administration continues high-level contacts with the Kremlin on a range of issues.
What's Next
Gilman's family and the State Department have not detailed a timeline for his recovery or said when he might speak publicly about his detention. U.S. officials say they continue to press Moscow on the cases of other Americans believed to be wrongfully held in Russia.