A former U.S. Marine who spent more than four years in a Russian prison and is believed to be seriously ill has been released and was on his way back to the United States on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump announced the release on Truth Social, saying Robert Gilman, 32, was freed after he discussed the case with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump said Gilman, a teacher, was released “very much on a Humanitarian Basis,” with no exchange of prisoners having taken place. He is expected to land at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.
The president added in his post that he had spoken to Gilman “and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands. I will take care of that!”
The Russian government has not commented on the release.
About 50 days ago, Gilman was diagnosed with a “dissociative stupor — a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said in a statement following the man’s release.
“He was essentially catatonic and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia,” added Markey, who has been campaigning for Gilman’s release. “We don’t yet know the full details of his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery.”
Gilman’s sister Lexie Hudson thanked Trump in a statement issued by Global Reach, an advocacy group representing his family.
“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” she said.
“I am looking forward to seeing Robert. I haven’t been able to speak with him once since this all began,” she added. “We will make sure that he gets the treatment and support that he needs.”
Before his release, Hudson said in a statement on Sunday that she was worried that he would die if he wasn’t freed. “I’m more afraid for my brother than I have been since this horrible nightmare started,” she said in a statement issued by Global Reach.
Her comments on Sunday came around a month after Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that Gilman had been admitted to a hospital. Quoting his lawyer Irina Brazhnikova, the business daily reported that he was receiving treatment but it was too early to talk about a diagnosis.
Gilman, who served in the Marines from August 2019 until August 2020, had been detained in 2022. He was initially handed a 3 ½— year sentence for beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance.
While serving his sentence, in October 2024 Gilman was accused of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, beating an investigator and assaulting a guard; he was sentenced to eight years and one month.
Last year, his sentence was extended again to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.
Gilman’s American supporters contend he was ill when he was first arrested and also that he was provoked while in prison into actions that led to further charges.
According to Markey, Gilman was “subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities,” throughout his detention.
“There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today,” he added.
Gilman was one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.
