An American detained in Russia since 2022, Robert Gilman, is reportedly near death, according to Eric Lebson, the chief strategy officer of Global Reach, an advocacy organization representing his family. Gilman, a 32-year-old former Marine, was forced to take psychotropic drugs and told lies about his family being beaten up and about being forgotten by the United States.
US Government Involvement
The US government is deeply concerned about Gilman’s health and continued detention in Russia, with a State Department spokesperson stating that they have raised his case repeatedly with the Russian government and have requested his release on humanitarian grounds.
Gilman’s family said they were told that Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Gilman’s case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in the Philippines in late July. Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, expressed her concern for her brother’s life, stating that she is more afraid for him than she has been since his detention started.
Gilman was arrested in January 2022, with the Russians alleging that he was drunk and got into an altercation with a police officer. However, Lebson denies this, saying Gilman was hit by the police, got sick, and accidentally kicked the officer. Gilman was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
