Gilman’s release comes after growing concern over his deteriorating health.
Released on humanitarian groundsUS President Donald Trump announced Gilman’s release, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had granted him a unilateral humanitarian pardon following negotiations between Washington and Moscow.
AdvertisementUS officials also confirmed that Gilman’s release did not involve a traditional swap or any known concessions from Washington.
Gilman’s family and defence team disputed the allegations, saying he was seriously unwell and had suffered a concussion at the time of the incident.
Health worsened in detentionConcern over Gilman’s condition intensified in recent weeks after reports emerged about his rapidly deteriorating health.
Gilman, who was serving a 10-year sentence on disputed assault charges, is returning to the US for medical treatment
Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old former US Marine and English teacher who spent more than four years in Russian detention, has been released and is on his way back to the United States.
Gilman’s release comes after growing concern over his deteriorating health. His family and supporters had warned in recent weeks that he was in critical condition after losing a significant amount of weight and reportedly entering a near-unresponsive state.
Released on humanitarian grounds
US President Donald Trump announced Gilman’s release, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had granted him a unilateral humanitarian pardon following negotiations between Washington and Moscow.
Trump said Russia did not seek the release of another prisoner in return and stressed that the decision was not part of a prisoner exchange.
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US officials also confirmed that Gilman’s release did not involve a traditional swap or any known concessions from Washington.
Gilman is now travelling back to the US, where he is expected to receive specialised medical care.
Arrested in Russia in 2022
Gilman was arrested in January 2022 while travelling on a train in the Russian city of Voronezh, around 500 kilometres south of Moscow.
Russian authorities accused him of kicking a police officer while under the influence of alcohol. Gilman’s family and defence team disputed the allegations, saying he was seriously unwell and had suffered a concussion at the time of the incident.
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He was initially sentenced to three and a half years in prison. His sentence was later extended after Russian prosecutors brought additional charges accusing him of assaulting prison guards.
The additional convictions eventually increased his sentence to 10 years.
His supporters argued that the repeated extensions of his sentence kept him in detention and raised concerns that he could potentially be used as leverage in future negotiations between Russia and the US.
Health worsened in detention
Concern over Gilman’s condition intensified in recent weeks after reports emerged about his rapidly deteriorating health.
He was reportedly transferred from a penal colony hospital to a civilian emergency department in critical condition. His family said he had experienced extreme weight loss and had become largely unresponsive, describing his condition as a dissociative or catatonic-like stupor.
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Reports also indicated that he had pneumonia and required a feeding tube.
The deterioration prompted renewed calls for his release on humanitarian grounds, with his family and advocacy groups warning that his condition had become life-threatening.
Gilman is travelling to the United States with his mother, Nancy, on a US government aircraft.
He is expected to arrive in Maryland before being taken to a US military medical facility in Texas, where he will undergo comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations and treatment.
