Robert Gilman, a US citizen and former Marine, has been released from years of detention in Russia on humanitarian grounds, the US State Department confirmed on Tuesday. A spokesperson said Gilman was freed following efforts by President Donald Trump and Special Envoy Witkoff, adding that the move brings the number of Americans returned by the United States during Trump’s second term to more than 100. The spokesperson said the administration would continue working to secure the release of all Americans held unjustly in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard, who the US describes as a wrongful detainee. Health concerns prompt US medical supportGilman’s release came amid serious concerns about his health. An advocacy group representing his family said he was travelling to a US military hospital in Texas for medical and psychological assessment and treatment. The family has also flown to Texas, including his mother, who had been in Russia trying to reach him at the hospital. The group said Gilman, now 32, had previously been designated a wrongful detainee, and that he was not released through a prisoner exchange. Detained since 2022 after police incidentGilman had been held since 2022. That year, he was sentenced to four and a half years in a prison colony after prosecutors accused him of fighting with a Russian police officer at a train station. His family deny the allegations and have said Russian authorities detained him for political reasons because he is American. The “Free Robert Gilman” website said he served in the US Marine Corps and founded “Robert Gilman Just English” to help students in Poland improve their English skills. It said he was in Moldova teaching when he became ill and was then accused of kicking a police officer while visiting family outside Moscow. No exchange, US says Russia asked for nothing backThe State Department spokesperson said Gilman’s release was not part of a broader prisoner swap and that no additional concessions were made. Trump said he had discussed Gilman’s release with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added that Russia requested no prisoner in return and that no exchange took place. Trump also said Gilman would land at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC, later on Tuesday and that representatives would welcome him. In a social media post, Trump said Gilman had made one request for a “great cheeseburger” when he arrived. Family and lawmakers cite serious medical conditionLexie Hudson, Gilman’s sister, said the family was grateful for the help in bringing him home. In a statement sent by Global Reach, a nonprofit organisation that focuses on returning Americans held abroad, Hudson thanked Trump and Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey. Hudson said her brother had been “so badly” treated and described the case as punishment without reason. She said the family had not been able to speak to him since his detention began and that they would ensure he received the support he needs. Markey also posted about Gilman’s condition on X, saying he had been diagnosed about 50 days earlier with a dissociative stupor, described by Markey as a state in which a person is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat. Markey said Gilman was essentially catatonic and had also suffered severe pneumonia, adding that the full details of his current condition and long-term recovery were not yet known. Representatives and family members have also said Gilman was subjected to torture and harsh physical and mental abuse by Russian prison guards, beyond what they describe as the false charges. Moscow has not commented on Gilman’s release. Join the discussion? 12 August 2026
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