(WASHINGTON) — Robert Gilman, a U.S. citizen and former Marine, has been freed from years of detention in Russia on humanitarian grounds, a State Department spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
“Thanks to the hard work of President Trump and Special Envoy Witkoff, Mr. Gilman joins over 100 Americans whom the United States has freed during President Trump’s second term in office. This Administration will continue to work for the release of all Americans unjustly detained in Russia, including wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard,” the spokesperson said.
Gilman’s release came amid severe concerns about his health. According to the organization advocating on behalf of his family, Gilman is on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated. His family has flown to Texas, including his mother, who was in Russia attempting to see him at the hospital.
Gilman, now 32 years old, had been detained since 2022. Later that year, he was sentenced to four and a half years in a prison colony after being accused of fighting with a Russian police officer at a train station.
Gilman’s family deny the charges and have accused the Russian authorities of wrongfully detaining him for political purposes because he is American.
According to the “Free Robert Gilman” website, Gilman served in the U.S. Marine Corps and also founded “Robert Gilman Just English” to help students in Poland build their English skills. Gilman was in Moldova to teach and was visiting family outside of Moscow when he fell ill and was then accused of kicking a police officer.
Gilman, who was recently designated as a wrongful detainee, was not part of a prisoner exchange, and no other concessions were provided as part of his release, according to the State Department spokesperson.
President Donald Trump said he had discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Gilman’s release, adding that “Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place.”
“Robert will land at Andrews Air Force Base, in Washington, D.C., tonight, where my Representatives, some of whom are on the plane with him, will welcome Robert back to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media account Tuesday.
Lexie Hudson, Gilman’s sister, commented on his release in a press release sent by Global Reach, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing home Americans who are wrongly held abroad.
Hudson thanked both Trump and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey.
“The Russians treated my brother so badly,” Hudson said. “They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”
“I am looking forward to seeing Robert. I haven’t been able to speak with him once since this all began. We will make sure that he gets the treatment and support that he needs.”
Markey celebrated Gilman’s release in a post on X while also describing Gilman’s debilitating condition.
“Approximately 50 days ago, Robert was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor — a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat. He was essentially catatonic and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia. We don’t yet know the full details of his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery. I’m grateful that Robert is now on his way back to the United States to receive the life-saving care that he desperately needs,” Markey wrote.
Gilman’s family members and representatives have said that in addition to the false charges levied against him, Gilman was subjected to torture and harsh physical and mental abuse by Russian prison guards.
Moscow has so far not commented on Gilman’s release.
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