Trump Frees Former US Marine From Russia
Trump Frees Former US Marine From Russia
The News
Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman was released from a Russian prison Tuesday after more than four years behind bars on disputed charges. President Donald Trump announced the release on Truth Social. The State Department said Gilman was freed without a prisoner exchange or any U.S. concessions.
Gilman, a Marine Corps veteran and English teacher, had been held for roughly 1,666 days.
Timeline
Gilman was detained by Russian police while traveling to the U.S. embassy in Moscow. He was charged with disorderly conduct, drunkenness and assaulting a police officer — charges his advocates strongly denied.
He was convicted and initially handed a sentence of about three and a half years, which was later extended, with reports of a term stretching to as long as 10 years.
He was held in a prison in Voronezh, roughly 340 miles south of Moscow.
Gilman was released and began his return to the United States.
Reactions
Trump applauded the release on Truth Social and said he intended to fulfill a request tied to the case. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, held a press conference Tuesday afternoon following the news.
Right-leaning outlets emphasized that Gilman had been imprisoned during the Biden administration and that no exchange was required to free him. Left-leaning coverage focused on how gravely ill Gilman had become, with a group advocating for him warning he was at risk of dying.
What's Next
Gilman was to be met at Dulles International Airport by envoy Steve Witkoff and deputy national security adviser Sebastian Gorka. He is expected to travel afterward to a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas.
According to the Foley Foundation, at least five other U.S. citizens remain wrongfully detained in Russia.
More
Gilman's family said his health had sharply deteriorated in custody, describing him as unable to eat or drink, being tube-fed, and running a high fever. His mother flew to Russia to see him but was turned away.
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