VORONEZH, Russia, Aug. 7 (World Daily Times) — Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine detained in Russia since 2022, is being held in a prison in Voronezh as advocacy groups and his family call for his release because of a serious decline in his health.
Gilman, 32, has been unable to attend court hearings because of his condition, according to Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of the advocacy group Global Reach. The reports available do not identify the court, case number or specific charges in his case.
What happened to Gilman?
Lebson said Gilman entered a catatonic-like state in June. The condition was described as a “dissociative stupor,” a term attributed to medical staff through the advocacy group. No medical record or statement from a treating doctor was provided.
Gilman was reportedly moved in late June from a prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital in Voronezh, about 340 miles, or 547 kilometers, south of Moscow. One secondary report gave a different transfer date, July 9, so the timing is not clear from the available records.
Lebson told Fox News that Gilman had been fed through a tube for 46 days as of Aug. 6. He said Gilman had been unable to communicate and had kept his eyes closed. Those accounts came from advocacy representatives and family sources, not from an identified medical record.
Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, said the organization was concerned that Gilman was not receiving adequate care. His sister, Lexie Hudson, said she feared she might never see him again and that he could die if Russia did not release him.
Why is he in prison?
Reuters reported that Gilman was convicted of attacking a police officer. The available information does not identify the court, conviction date, sentence or charging documents.
Secondary reports also said his sentence was extended in 2024 after additional convictions involving alleged assaults on prison officials and a state investigator. Those claims could not be matched to a court record in the available material.
The allegations against Gilman should not be treated as findings beyond the information attributed to the reports. No Russian court file or official statement was provided.
What are the allegations about his treatment?
Hudson and representatives of hostage-advocacy groups have alleged that Gilman may have been tortured and injected with mind-altering or psychotropic drugs while in custody. The available material does not include an independent medical finding, evidence record or Russian response confirming or disproving those allegations.
The reports also contain differing accounts about access by family members, lawyers and U.S. consular officials. The available material does not include the alleged court order or an official record resolving those differences.
What is the U.S. government saying?
The U.S. State Department said it was “deeply concerned about Robert Gilman’s health and continued detention.” Reuters also reported that the White House and State Department urged Moscow to release Gilman so he could receive urgent medical treatment in the United States.
The available information does not establish whether Russia has formally rejected the request. It also does not provide a current prognosis from an identified physician.
Gilman’s case combines a criminal detention in Russia with a diplomatic dispute over the treatment of a U.S. citizen. For now, the central facts about his medical condition and custody remain based largely on statements from his family and advocacy organizations, while Russian court, prison and medical records have not been made available in the supplied material.
