Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman has been released from Russian custody after spending more than four years in detention, bringing an end to a case that had drawn growing concern from his family, lawmakers, and human rights advocates.
President Donald Trump announced the release on social media, writing, “American citizen Robert Gilman, a former United States Marine, is coming HOME!”
Administration officials said Gilman left Russia aboard a State Department aircraft with his mother, Nina. The pair were expected to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before Gilman was transferred to a medical facility in Texas for treatment.
Trump said he also spoke briefly with Gilman after his release. According to the president, the former Marine had one immediate request after years in Russian custody: “A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands.”
Gilman, 32, is originally from Lowell, Massachusetts, and had been working as an English teacher in Europe before his arrest in January 2022.
Russian authorities accused him of assaulting a police officer while intoxicated aboard a train in southern Russia. His family and legal team have disputed that account, arguing that Gilman was experiencing a medical episode at the time and that the incident was not an intentional attack.
His father, Vladimir Gilman, has said his son unintentionally kicked an officer during the episode.
Gilman was initially sentenced to three and a half years in prison, but additional cases brought against him by Russian authorities repeatedly extended his time behind bars. Eventually, the total sentence grew to several times its original length.
As the years passed, concerns about his physical and mental condition became increasingly serious.
Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer at Global Reach, said Gilman had at one point been transferred from a prison medical ward to a psychiatric facility while suffering from what he described as a “dissociative stupor.” Lebson alleged that Gilman had endured severe mistreatment, including unusually long exercise periods and the administration of psychotropic medications.
Reports later indicated that Gilman had been placed on a feeding tube and restrained to a hospital bed. Medical evaluations reportedly described his condition as life-threatening, adding urgency to efforts to secure his release.
The State Department eventually designated Gilman as wrongfully detained, while members of Congress pushed the administration to make his case a diplomatic priority.
Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who had advocated for Gilman’s release, welcomed the news while sharply criticizing the circumstances that preceded it.
“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that is required for his release to be negotiated,” Markey said.
Gilman’s family also expressed relief following the announcement.
His sister, Lexie Hudson, credited Trump with taking action after learning about the case.
“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” she said, while also thanking lawmakers and advocates who had continued drawing attention to her brother’s detention.
The negotiations reportedly involved several senior administration figures, including Adam Boehler, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Deputy National Security Advisor Sebastian Gorka, and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Unlike several previous prisoner releases involving Russia, Gilman’s return was not tied to a reported prisoner exchange. Administration officials said the United States did not provide a swap or make policy concessions in return for his freedom.
That makes the circumstances of his release especially notable at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow remain strained over the war in Ukraine and other security disputes.
For Gilman, however, the immediate priority is recovery.
He is expected to undergo extensive medical and psychological treatment in San Antonio following years of incarceration and reported mistreatment.
His release also leaves broader questions unresolved. Other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher who was accused of serving with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit.
U.S. officials have said efforts to bring home Americans detained abroad will continue, with diplomatic channels remaining open as Washington presses for the release of those still held in Russian prisons.
