Ex-Marine released and returning to US from Russian prison
A US citizen and former military serviceman has been released after four years in prison in Russia. President Trump said the release was not part of any exchange and expressed appreciation to Russia's Putin.
On Tuesday, Russia released Robert Gilman, a former US Marine who had been imprisoned for over four years on disputed charges, according to advocacy groups and US officials. US President Donald Trump and the State Department attributed the release to humanitarian reasons, stating it was not an exchange or prisoner swap. The 32-year-old teacher had been detained in Russia since 2022 for assaulting a police officer after being removed from a train.
He was later charged with additional violent offenses and sentenced to approximately 10 years in prison. Former Marine Gilman had been in a dissociative state for 47 days due to alleged abuse in detention, leading to his deteriorating health. His mother traveled to Russia in an attempt to secure his release while the news broke.
Trump announced the release on social media, including a photo of Gilman and his family on a plane. The State Department praised Russia for working with a special envoy to facilitate the release, expressing hope for the prompt return of Gilman and other unjustly detained Americans. Advocacy groups and Gilman's sister credited President Trump's efforts in securing his release.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
