Russia frees former US Marine amid health fears

A former US Marine detained by Russia since 2022 was headed back to the United States on Tuesday after being released on humanitarian grounds, President Donald Trump said.

Robert Gilman, a teacher from Massachusetts, had been serving a ten-year prison sentence over disputed charges of assaulting a police officer.

His family and advocates had recently raised the alarm over his health, saying he had been hospitalized for over a month and could possibly die if not allowed to seek treatment in the United States.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said that "after my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis."

A photo accompanying the post showed Gilman -- appearing very gaunt with his head propped up by a pillow -- aboard an airplane holding an American flag with several other people smiling around him.

"We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return -- No exchange took place," Trump wrote.

Gilman was sentenced in 2022 by a court in southwestern Russia to four and a half years in prison for assaulting a police officer. His sentence was later extended to 10 years for violence against prison staff.

Global Reach, a group that works to free American prisoners abroad, said in a statement that Gilman had been "subjected to harsh and abusive treatment" while in prison.

"On June 30, Robert was moved from his prison hospital to a civilian hospital in Voronezh. Reports received from hospital officials conveyed Robert's status as dire and life-threatening," the statement said.

"This spurred the US government into action that cumulated in a unilateral humanitarian release of Robert by the Russian authorities, for which we are grateful."

Gilman was headed to a US military hospital in Texas to be "medically and psychologically assessed and treated," according to the NGO.

"The Russians treated my brother so badly. They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both and American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?" his sister, Lexie Hudson, said in a statement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio added his thanks in a statement to Russia for working with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to release Gilman "and allowing him to receive the necessary medical treatment here in the United States."

Rubio said that while the Trump administration welcomed this "positive step," it was still seeking the "immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans, including wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard."

Hubbard, a retired English teacher, was sentenced in a closed trial in October 2024 to nearly seven years in prison for "mercenary work" on behalf of Ukraine, a charge he denies.