Jailed ex-Marine Robert Gilman may be near death in Russian custody

Held in a psychiatric ward in Voronezh since late June, Gilman is suffering from what has been described as a dissociative stupor. Eric Lebson of the advocacy group Global Reach states that the former Marine is unresponsive, unable to communicate, and kept in isolation despite his mother holding a judicial order for visitation. While the State Department confirmed it is tracking the case and pressing Moscow for his return, the official designation of Gilman as "wrongfully detained" remains pending.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly raised the case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Manila on July 23, though the outcome of that discussion remains unknown. Gilman was originally sentenced to 4.5 years in 2022 following an incident on a train, but his sentence was extended to 10 years in 2024 after allegations of assaulting prison staff—claims his family and advocates reject as fabrications. They maintain that his current condition is the result of torture and the forced administration of mind-altering drugs during his detention. The case has drawn comparisons to that of Otto Warmbier, the American student who died shortly after his release from North Korean captivity in 2017.