Overview
- A U.S. State Department representative confirmed late Tuesday that Russian authorities released Robert Gilman for humanitarian reasons and that he is being flown to the United States for treatment.
- Russian and international outlets reported that President Vladimir Putin pardoned Gilman, a claim echoed by a Kremlin representative, while Moscow has offered few formal public details.
- President Trump said the release followed his discussions with President Putin, and U.S. officials separately insisted the transfer was not part of a prisoner exchange and required no concessions.
- Gilman, who was arrested in Russia in January 2022 and later had his sentence increased by Russian courts, experienced a sharp health decline this year that advocates describe as a dissociative stupor and say left him hospitalized and tube‑fed.
- The case highlights recurring U.S. concerns about Americans held in Russian prisons and could prompt closer diplomatic scrutiny and medical oversight for returned detainees.