United States Marine veteran Robert Gilman was released from Russian custody Tuesday on humanitarian grounds after 1,666 days in prison, Fox News has learned.Gilman, a U.S.citizen, was arrested on Jan.
17, 2022, in Voronezh, Russia, and sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison.While in custody, he was subject to harsh and abusive treatment, putting him into "a catatonic state," according to Gilman family representative Kieran Ramsey.In a Friday interview with Fox News, Ramsey detailed the events that led to Gilman's arrest."If we back up in November of 2021, he is on his way to Moldova.
So he's not even supposed to travel to Russia.But in his travels, he gets violently ill and ends up having to stop in Moscow, " Ramsey told Fox News.AMERICAN EX-MARINE FEARED NEAR DEATH AFTER WEEKS IN CATATONIC STATE IN RUSSIAN PRISONGilman's legal troubles escalated since his 2022 arrest for a train disturbance while he was traveling to replace his passport.
(REUTERS/Vladimir Lavrov)"He ends up going to a relative's house to recuperate because of this illness.In January of 2022, after what he thought was a full recovery, he goes to the U.S.
embassy to renew his passport.But en route he becomes violently ill again.
And at that point the Russian police approach him thinking he's drunk, claiming they that he assaults them, and then they proceed to assault him and arrest him and charge him.And that nightmare has exponentially expanded since that point," Ramsey said.The U.S.
State Department referred to Gilman as a wrongful detainee and said his release was part of an exchange with Russia, telling Fox News that "no other concessions were provided."Ramsey also conveyed the dire state of Gilman's medical status."Our main concern is that we think he's dying in a Russian hospital.And the Russians won't let his mother even visit him, let alone embassy staff," he told Fox News."Right now, he is in a catatonic state.
He's being fed through a tube that goes down his nose into his stomac...