Former Marine Near Death in Russian Prison
Robert Gilman (32) has fallen into a catatonic state from which he does not emerge, and Russian authorities are banning visits even from his mother. Washington warns of a new Otto Warmbier case.
Robert Gilman (32) has fallen into a catatonic state from which he does not emerge, and Russian authorities are banning visits even from his mother. Washington warns of a new Otto Warmbier case.
The health condition of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, detained in Russia since early 2022, has deteriorated so severely that his family and advocacy groups are warning his life is in imminent danger. After slipping into a state of deep stupor in June 2026, the 32-year-old can no longer move or communicate and is fed exclusively through a feeding tube.
Eric Lebson, strategic director of Global Reach, the organization representing the Gilman family, confirmed that both the White House and the State Department have called on Moscow to release him so he can receive urgent medical care in the United States. The State Department stated they are "deeply concerned about Robert Gilman's health and his continued detention."
A senior Trump administration official, who requested anonymity, said the case is being "closely monitored" and that Washington has repeatedly demanded his return directly from the Russians. According to a source familiar with diplomatic efforts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Manila on July 23, 2026. Lavrov's response is not yet known.
Gilman is one of at least 10 Americans known to be currently held in Russian prisons, and a potential death would further strain relations between the two powers, already strained by conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and a host of other open issues.
Before his transfer, Gilman was held in a penal colony in Voronezh, about 550 kilometers from Moscow. In late June 2026, he was moved from the prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital in a condition doctors characterized as "dissociative stupor." According to the World Health Organization's international classification, this is a disorder in which voluntary movements and normal reactions to external stimuli are almost entirely absent.
Lebson reports that Gilman's eyes remain permanently closed, he is unable to speak, and due to this health collapse, he has missed all court hearings. Despite a court order allowing her to visit, the Russian hospital has banned his mother from visiting. Neither U.S. consular officials, who were occasionally able to visit him in prison, nor his Russian lawyer have been allowed into the ward.
"He appears not to be receiving the necessary care, and we are deeply concerned for his life and safety," said Elizabeth Richards, director at the Foley Foundation, which is monitoring the case.
Gilman served in the U.S. Marines from August 2019 to August 2020. He was arrested on January 17, 2022, at a train station in Voronezh while traveling by train. Russian state media reported at the time that he struck a police officer while under the influence of alcohol. However, his father, Vladimir Gilman, who emigrated from Russia to Massachusetts, claimed in an op-ed for the Boston Globe in October 2024 that these charges were fabricated. According to his account, his son felt unwell during the incident and struck the officer unintentionally; the officer was not injured, withdrew the complaint, and did not testify at trial.
Despite this, Robert Gilman was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. As early as March 2023, the family requested that the State Department officially declare him wrongfully detained-a status that would make his release a priority of U.S. foreign policy-but that decision has not yet been made.
Russian state media later reported that his sentence was extended to 10 years in 2024 for an alleged physical assault on prison staff. Both Lebson and Richards firmly reject these claims. They emphasize that Gilman was held in extremely harsh conditions, tortured by guards, and forcibly given psychoactive substances, which ultimately led to his transfer to a civilian hospital.
"I fear for my brother more than ever since this nightmare began. I'm afraid I'll never see him again if the Russians don't let him go. I'm afraid he might die," said his sister, Lexie Hudson.
Lebson expressed fear that the tragedy of Otto Warmbier, an American student released by North Korea in June 2017 in a coma after 17 months of detention, could repeat itself. Warmbier died the same month in a U.S. hospital from severe brain damage without ever regaining consciousness. "We seriously fear that an Otto Warmbier situation could repeat itself," Lebson warned.
