Jailed American Robert Gilman taken to Russian hospital, newspaper reports
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Former US Marine Robert Gilman attending a court hearing in Voronezh, Russia, in April 2026.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Robert Gilman, a former US Marine jailed in Russia for assault charges, has been admitted to hospital, though his diagnosis remains unclear.
- Gilman's prison sentence was extended to 10 years after multiple convictions for assaulting officials and a state investigator.
- Supporters claim Gilman was ill at arrest and provoked in prison; US seeks his release among nine Americans jailed in Russia.
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MOSCOW - Former US Marine Robert Gilman, who is serving a long prison sentence in Russia, has been admitted to hospital, Kommersant newspaper reported on July 9.
The business daily quoted Gilman’s lawyer as saying he was receiving treatment but that it was too early to talk about a diagnosis.
A US State Department spokesperson said: “We are aware that an American, Robert Gilman, is detained in Voronezh, Russia, and the Department is providing appropriate consular assistance. We take our commitment to assist Americans abroad seriously and will continue to track closely Mr Gilman’s case.”
Gilman was first jailed in 2022 for assaulting a police officer while drunk, and his sentence was extended in 2024 following subsequent convictions for assaulting prison officials and a state investigator.
State media reported in December 2025 that he was facing a total sentence of 10 years after a further conviction for assaulting prison staff.
Russian media have previously cited Gilman’s lawyers as saying that he originally came to Russia to study and obtain citizenship.
Gilman’s supporters in the United States say he was ill when he was first arrested, and that he was provoked while in prison into actions that led to the further charges.
Kommersant said that because of Gilman’s unspecified illness, a court in the southern city of Voronezh had postponed a hearing into a prosecutor’s appeal against the latest sentence.
A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters in 2025 that Gilman was one of nine people on a list of Americans jailed in Russia that Washington wanted to be released and returned to the US.
The State Department spokesperson said: “The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans.” REUTERS