Less than a week after Robert Gilman’s family warned that he was “on the brink of death," the former US Marine has been released from Russian custody and is on his way back to the United States with his mother.
Gilman, who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than four years, was reportedly unresponsive in a hospital, receiving nutrition through a feeding tube. His release came as part of a humanitarian pardon ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin following intensive diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration.
Unlike previous agreements between Moscow and Washington, the release did not involve a prisoner exchange, and Russia received no official compensation. US officials described the decision as a “humanitarian gesture."
President Donald Trump announced the release on Truth Social and said he spoke with Gilman while he was aboard the plane leaving Russia. According to Trump, Gilman’s first request was simple - a cheeseburger. Trump said he would personally make sure the former Marine got one.
Gilman’s case has drawn widespread concern over his treatment in Russian custody. Human rights organizations and Global Reach, which worked with his family, alleged that he suffered prolonged abuse, was held in harsh conditions and was forcibly given medication. As his condition deteriorated, he was transferred from a detention facility to a psychiatric ward at a civilian hospital, where he was described as being in a “dissociative stupor," a state in which a person is largely unresponsive to their surroundings.
Gilman’s mother traveled to Russia in an effort to see her son but was reportedly prevented from entering the hospital where he was being treated. The two were finally reunited aboard the plane taking him back to the United States. He is expected to undergo extensive medical examinations and rehabilitation at a military hospital in Texas.
Gilman, 32, was arrested in 2022 after an incident aboard a train in Voronezh. Russian authorities accused him of attacking a police officer while intoxicated. His family maintained that the incident was accidental and occurred after Gilman became unwell. They also said the officer was not injured and had not requested that Gilman be prosecuted.
He was initially sentenced to four and a half years in prison, but his sentence was later extended following additional accusations that he assaulted prison staff. His family and support organizations have disputed those allegations, saying they were connected to the abuse and deteriorating condition he experienced while in custody.
Gilman’s sister, Lexi Hudson, celebrated his release and credited Trump with intervening in the case. “There’s no other reason Robert is alive today besides the fact that President Trump heard about the case and acted," she said. She also accused Russian authorities of severely abusing her brother, asking, “Why did they do this to such a good person?"
The State Department said it hopes Gilman’s release will help pave the way for the release of other Americans imprisoned in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard, who US officials also describe as wrongfully detained.