US Marine Held in Russia for Four Years Is Critically Ill, Advocates Say
Advocates say former US Marine Robert Gilman, detained in Russia since 2022, is gravely ill and at risk of dying.
The family of a former US Marine detained in Russia for more than four years says his condition has deteriorated to a critical point. Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old teacher from Massachusetts, has been in what advocates describe as a 'dissociative stupor' for 47 days, a state they attribute to abuse suffered during his imprisonment.
According to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of the advocacy group Global Reach, which represents the family, Gilman has also experienced a high fever and elevated blood pressure since Tuesday. He has been transferred from a prison facility to a civilian hospital, where he is receiving nutrition through a feeding tube and remains handcuffed to his bed.
Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, expressed profound fear for her brother's life. In a statement, she said she worries she may never see him again if Russian authorities do not release him, adding that she fears he could die in custody.
The family's account of Gilman's ordeal begins with an incident on a train in 2022, when he became violently ill. Police allegedly attempted to restrain him, and he was detained after his leg brushed against an officer. The family says a series of vague and escalating charges followed, and that in prison he was subjected to forced drugging, provocations, and torture, which they say led to additional charges.
Gilman was initially sentenced to three and a half years for beating a police officer. He was later convicted of attacking a prison inspector, an investigator, and a guard, leading to an eight-year sentence in October 2024. That sentence was subsequently extended to ten years after another conviction for assaulting prison guards. Russian media has reported that Gilman pleaded guilty to those charges, explaining his actions as an attempt to remain in his current prison rather than be transferred.
US Senator Edward Markey has urged both governments to act, warning that without urgent intervention, Gilman's condition could become permanent or fatal. The State Department has said it is deeply concerned about his health and has repeatedly raised his case with Russian authorities, requesting his release on humanitarian grounds. Russian officials have not publicly commented on the case.
Gilman is one of at least eight Americans believed to remain in Russian custody following a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges in recent years. His mother travelled to Russia weeks ago in an attempt to visit him, but hospital officials denied the request.