Ex-US Marine Near Death in Russian Custody, Family and Advocacy Groups Say

Former US Marine Robert Gilman, who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2022, is in critical condition and may be close to death after being transferred to a psychiatric hospital in June, according to his family and two hostage advocacy organizations. According to Reuters, Gilman, 32, is reportedly unable to communicate, is being fed through a tube and remains in what advocates describe as a “dissociative stupor” after allegedly being tortured and forcibly injected with mind-altering drugs while in Russian custody.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The White House and the US State Department have urged Moscow to release Gilman so he can receive urgent medical treatment in the United States, Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of the advocacy group Global Reach, told Reuters. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Gilman’s case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Manila on July 23. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear how Lavrov responded. Gilman is one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia. His death could further strain already tense US-Russia relations, which remain burdened by Russia’s war against Ukraine, the conflict with Iran and other disputes. “I am more afraid for my brother than I have been since this horrible nightmare started,” Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, said in a statement. “I’m worried that I may never see him again if the Russians don’t release him.” Other Topics of Interest Russian Drones Strike German-Owned Cargo Ship Off Odesa, Hit Again During Evacuation Russian drones hit the German-owned bulk carrier Emil off Odesa, disabling the ship as Moscow expands attacks on foreign merchant shipping. A senior Trump administration official said Washington was “closely tracking” the case and had repeatedly pressed Russia for Gilman’s release. “We are deeply concerned about Robert Gilman’s health and continued detention,” the State Department said in a statement. Russia’s embassy in Washington did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Family denied access According to Lebson, Gilman’s mother has been barred from visiting him despite holding a Russian court order allowing access. US consular officials and Gilman’s Russian lawyer have also been denied entry to the hospital. Gilman was serving his sentence in a prison in Russia’s Voronezh region before being transferred in late June from a prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital. Lebson said doctors assessed him as being in a “dissociative stupor,” a condition defined by the World Health Organization as a profound loss of voluntary movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. Gilman has reportedly been unable to attend court hearings because of his condition. “It doesn’t seem like he’s getting the care he needs, and we are very concerned for his life and safety,” Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, told Reuters. Arrest and imprisonment Gilman, who served in the US Marine Corps from 2019 to 2020, was arrested in January 2022 after an incident aboard a train in Voronezh. Russian authorities accused him of assaulting a police officer while intoxicated and sentenced him to four-and-a-half years in prison. His father, Vladimir Gilman, has denied the allegations, writing in a 2024 opinion piece that his son became ill during the incident and accidentally kicked the officer, who was not injured and later dropped the complaint. Russian state media reported that Gilman’s sentence was extended to 10 years in 2024 after he was accused of assaulting prison staff. His family and advocacy groups reject those claims, alleging Gilman instead endured severe abuse in prison, including torture and forced injections with mind-altering substances, which they say led to his current condition. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.