A former U.S. Marine who spent more than four years in prison on disputed charges and believed to be seriously ill has been released by Russia, a U.S. Senator said Tuesday.
Robert Gilman “has finally been released by the Russian government and is on his way home to the United States,” Senator Ed Markey, D-Mass., of Massachusetts said in a statement.
“Approximately 50 days ago, Robert was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor — a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat,” Markey said.
“He was essentially catatonic and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia. We don’t yet know the full details of his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery,” he added.
Gilman, 32, was detained since 2022 and initially handed a three-and-a-half year sentence in 2022 when he was convicted of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance.
After his initial conviction, Gilman was later accused of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, beating an investigator and assaulting a guard, and he was sentenced in October 2024 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.
He was one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.
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