Russia has released former United States Marine Robert Gilman from detention on humanitarian grounds after more than four years in custody, following concerns over his deteriorating health.
US President Donald Trump announced Gilman’s release on Tuesday, saying Russia agreed to free him after discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump said the release was “very much on a humanitarian basis” and that Russia did not ask for anyone in return, adding that “no exchange took place.”
Gilman, 32, was arrested in January 2022 in Voronezh after being accused of kicking a police officer while intoxicated on a train. He was initially sentenced to 4.5 years in prison.
His sentence was later increased to 10 years following additional convictions for allegedly assaulting prison staff and a state investigator. His family and advocates disputed the allegations.
Gilman is now travelling to a US military hospital in Texas for medical and psychological assessment and treatment. His mother, who had travelled to Russia while seeking access to her son in a prison hospital, is accompanying him on his journey home.
Trump said he spoke with Gilman before his departure and that the former Marine had one request when he arrived in the US: “A GREAT cheeseburger.”
Gilman is expected to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday night, where representatives are expected to welcome him home.
The State Department said Gilman had recently been designated as wrongfully detained and expressed hope that Russia would also release retired US schoolteacher Stephen Hubbard, who remains imprisoned in the country.
Hubbard was sentenced to nearly seven years in a Russian penal colony after being convicted of serving in a Ukrainian territorial defence unit. He is among at least nine other Americans still known to be imprisoned in Russia.
(The Whistler)