Russia released Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, on Tuesday after four years of incarceration. His family and U.S. officials have alleged he was wrongfully detained and subjected to abusive treatment that left him in critical condition. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the release, which Trump described on his Truth Social platform as occurring 'very much on a Humanitarian Basis' and involved no exchange.
Russia releases detained American veteran Robert Gilman after four years in custody
Russia released Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, on Tuesday after four years of incarceration. His family and U.S. officials have alleged he was wrongfully detained and subjected to abusive treatment that left him in critical condition. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the release, which Trump described on his Truth Social platform as occurring 'very much on a Humanitarian Basis' and involved no exchange.
Gilman was detained in Russia in 2022 on charges of beating a police officer after being removed from a train for causing a disturbance. He was convicted and sentenced to 3.5 years. He was subsequently convicted of additional charges — attacking a prison inspector, beating an investigator, and assaulting a guard — and sentenced in October 2024 to eight years and one month. In December 2024, that sentence was extended to 10 years following a further conviction for assaulting prison guards.
Russian media reported that Gilman pleaded guilty to the charges and apologized to the guards he was accused of assaulting. The business daily Kommersant reported that he explained his actions by saying he wanted to remain in the prison where he was already serving his sentence and avoid transfer to another facility.
Before his release, Gilman had been hospitalized in a psychiatric ward of a civilian hospital since early July, according to his lawyer Irina Brazhnikova, who spoke to the Russian news agency Interfax. Brazhnikova said his condition had worsened and that neither his lawyers nor his family had been permitted to visit.
Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, a group working to free detained Americans, said Gilman had been in 'a dissociative stupor' for 47 days due to alleged abuse in prison, was placed on a feeding tube, and was handcuffed to a bed. Lebson said hospital reports described his condition as 'dire and life-threatening,' which pushed the U.S. government into action.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media showing a gaunt Gilman draped in an American flag and surrounded by family aboard an airplane. Trump said Gilman would arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Tuesday evening and is bound for a military hospital in Texas for medical and psychological assessment and treatment.
Five other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia with deteriorating medical issues, according to Global Reach. Arrests of Americans in Russia have become more frequent in recent years, with concerns that Russia may be detaining U.S. nationals for use as bargaining chips in future negotiations over Russians convicted of crimes in the U.S. and Europe.
Trump stated that Russia asked for nothing in return for Gilman's release: 'We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place.' He also wrote that Gilman, when reached by phone, requested 'A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands.'
Where sources differ
- The two sources give different figures for the number of other Americans still imprisoned in Russia: NPR, citing advocacy group Global Reach, states five remain with deteriorating medical issues; Al Jazeera states Gilman was one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia, implying at least nine others remain.
- The characterisation of Gilman's physical condition at the time of release differs: a U.S. official quoted by Al Jazeera said he was walking, talking, and appeared to be in good shape; Senator Ed Markey, also cited by Al Jazeera, described him as being in a 'near-death' condition.
- The source does not provide Russia's official explanation for releasing Gilman or any statement from the Kremlin or Putin's office.
- The source does not detail the specific diplomatic steps or timeline of negotiations that led to the release.
- The source does not include independent medical verification of the conditions described by Global Reach or Gilman's family.
- The source does not specify what role, if any, Sen. Markey played beyond public advocacy.
- The source does not describe the nature of the alleged 'physical torture' and 'forced medication' referenced by Markey beyond the general descriptions provided.
- NPR News — original
- Al Jazeera English — by Umar Farooq