Russia Releases Former US Marine Robert Gilman on Humanitarian Grounds

Russia has released former US Marine Robert Gilman on humanitarian grounds after his health sharply deteriorated in prison, Reuters reports. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree pardoning the 32-year-old American, whose release followed discussions between Russian and US officials. Gilman had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022 after being convicted of assaulting a police officer. According to the investigation, he allegedly attacked the officer while intoxicated aboard a Moscow-Sukhumi train. His father disputed that account, saying Gilman had become ill on the train, fallen and accidentally struck the officer, who was not injured. A Russian court initially sentenced Gilman to four and a half years in prison. The sentence was later reduced to three and a half years. After his arrest, however, investigators accused him of repeatedly violating prison rules and attacking Federal Penitentiary Service officers. He was also accused of assaulting an investigator in an attempt to prevent his transfer to a penal colony in Rossosh. Eight additional criminal cases were subsequently opened against him.