{
  "id": 328395,
  "title": "Reuters: U.S. asks Russia to release imprisoned former Marine Robert Gilman; his family fears he is near death",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/reuters-u-s-asks-russia-to-release-imprisoned-former-marine-robert",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-07T10:25:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/07/reuters-u-s-asks-russia-to-release-imprisoned-former-marine-robert-gilman-his-family-fears-he-is-near-death"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the issue of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman's release during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 23 in the Philippines, according to Reuters. The source of the report could not confirm Lavrov's response. Eric Lebson, the chief strategy officer of Global Reach, an advocacy group representing Gilman's family, stated that both the White House and the State Department have urged Russia to free the former Marine. The family is deeply concerned about Gilman's health, as he allegedly faced torture and injections of mind-altering drugs, and has been in a dissociative state since June. He is now being fed through a tube, and his sister believes he may be near death. A senior official from the Trump administration confirmed that the administration is closely monitoring Gilman's case and has made repeated efforts to Russia, demanding his return to the United States. The State Department also released a statement expressing deep concern for Gilman's well-being. Robert Gilman, now 32, was arrested in Voronezh in January 2022 for allegedly assaulting a police officer at a train station. He was initially sentenced to four and a half years in prison for violence against a government official, but this was later extended by a year. During his incarceration, Gilman allegedly engaged in conflicts with prison staff and was charged with disrupting prison operations, which further extended his sentence to 10 years. In July 2026, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported that Gilman had been moved to a hospital. Gilman is among at least 10 Americans currently detained in Russia, as reported by Reuters. In May 2025, Reuters published a list of nine U.S. citizens the White House hoped to see returned through a potential exchange with Moscow, with Gilman included in the list.",
  "summary": "U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed for the release of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who has been convicted in Russia, during a July 23 meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Philippines, Reuters reported, citing sources.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}