Russia released Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former US Marine and teacher from Lowell, Massachusetts, on Tuesday after more than four years in custody, with US President Donald Trump and the State Department both stating the release was made on humanitarian grounds and did not involve an exchange or swap of prisoners.
Russia releases former US Marine Robert Gilman on humanitarian grounds
Russia released Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former US Marine and teacher from Lowell, Massachusetts, on Tuesday after more than four years in custody, with US President Donald Trump and the State Department both stating the release was made on humanitarian grounds and did not involve an exchange or swap of prisoners.
Gilman was arrested in January 2022 after being removed from a train to Moscow for causing a disturbance. He was convicted of beating a police officer in that incident and initially received a sentence of three and a half years, according to CBS News. He was subsequently convicted of additional offenses while incarcerated — including attacking a prison inspector, beating an investigator, and assaulting guards — with his sentence ultimately extended to roughly ten years in total.
Before his release, Gilman had been in what Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of advocacy group Global Reach, described as a 'dissociative stupor' for 47 days, attributed to abuse suffered in prison. CBS News reported he had been moved from a prison to a civilian hospital, where he was connected to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, according to the BBC, posted on social media that Gilman had been 'essentially catatonic' and battling a 'severe case of pneumonia.' Lebson told CBS News that Russian authorities had subjected Gilman to mistreatment including harassment, forced exercise sessions lasting up to 16 hours, and the administration of psychotropic drugs, and had also allegedly pressured him to fight in Ukraine.
Gilman's mother, Nancy, had traveled to Russia to attempt to see him amid reports of his deteriorating health and was reunited with him, flying back to the United States with him, according to Trump and CBS News. Trump posted about the release on his Truth Social platform, including what appeared to be a photo of Gilman, his mother, and others on a plane holding an American flag. Trump stated Gilman and others would land at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday night.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis,' adding that Russia 'asked for no one in return.' According to the BBC, Kirill Dmitriev, described as a special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirmed Gilman had been freed 'from detention for humanitarian reasons.'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement cited by Deutsche Welle, thanked Russia 'for working with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to release Mr. Gilman' and noted the US was 'still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans, including wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard.' CBS News noted Gilman was one of at least eight Americans remaining in Russian custody following a series of prior high-profile prisoner exchanges.
Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, credited Trump with her brother's release, saying in a statement issued by Global Reach that Trump hearing about the case and taking action was the reason 'Robert is alive today.' She also thanked Democratic Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey for leading advocacy efforts in Congress, according to Deutsche Welle. Lebson said it was 'too early to know Robert's long-term medical prognosis,' according to CBS News, and that Global Reach planned to have Gilman medically and psychologically assessed and treated at a US military hospital in Texas.
Senator Markey, quoted by Deutsche Welle, said it was 'a tragedy that it took Robert's near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required' and alleged that Gilman had been subjected to 'physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities' during his detention.
Where sources differ
- The description of the initial alleged offense differs slightly across sources: Deutsche Welle and CBS News describe it as assaulting or beating a police officer after being ejected from a train for causing a disturbance, while the BBC describes it as kicking a police officer while drunk aboard a train to Moscow.
- CBS News specifies that Gilman's sentence was extended 'last year' to 10 years after a conviction for assaulting prison guards, and separately that he received an eight-year-and-one-month sentence in October 2024; Deutsche Welle states only that the total reached 'roughly 10 years' without breaking down the individual sentences in the same way.
- None of the sources establishes the full details of the diplomatic communications between the Trump administration and Russian authorities that led to the release.
- The sources do not confirm whether Gilman received the cheeseburger Trump mentioned he had requested upon landing.
- The long-term medical prognosis for Gilman is not established in any source.
- The Russian government's account of events, beyond Dmitriev's brief confirmation of the release, is not detailed in any source.
- No source includes a direct comment from Gilman himself about his detention or release.
- The status or identities of the other Americans still reportedly held in Russia are not detailed beyond a passing reference to Stephen Hubbard.
- Deutsche Welle — original — by Mark Hallam
- CBS News
- BBC News — by Brandon Drenon and Kennedy Gotham
Read the original at Deutsche Welle