Robert Gilman released from Russian prison after medical pardon
Robert Gilman, 32, pardoned by Vladimir Putin on medical grounds and flown toward U.S. military medical care in Texas.
Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022, has been released and is en route to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, his lawyers said. He is 32 years old and spent more than four years behind bars before Moscow announced his departure from custody.
How the release happened
"Moscow freed Gilman after Putin granted him a pardon due to poor health," U.S. officials said. The White House and the State Department had publicly urged Russian authorities to allow Gilman to return to the United States for medical treatment after reports that his condition was serious and could be life‑threatening.
Eric Lebson, strategic director at the organization Global Reach that worked on his case, said the Russian hospital where Gilman had been held had been informed that his condition was "serious and life‑threatening." Lebson added that the medical report prompted U.S. action that resulted in a "unilateral humanitarian release."
Gilman was held in Voronezh, about 550 kilometres south of Moscow. The precise details of his medical condition were not disclosed.
Gilman had been convicted in Russia for beating a police officer after being removed from a train for causing a disturbance. His sentence was increased to 10 years last year after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.
"We appreciate this decision and the fact that Russia did not ask for anyone in return — there was no swap," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Photo: press material from the event
