American detained in Russia reported near death, advocates say

Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman was described by advocates as near death in Russian custody, and the State Department said it was deeply concerned about his health and continued detention. Gilman has been imprisoned in Russia since 2022 after an assault conviction and is serving a prison sentence there.

His sister and advocacy groups said he may be near death, heightening alarms over his condition inside Russian custody. One advocacy account said Gilman was being fed through a tube and was in a dissociative stupor, while another account said he had been hospitalized in serious condition. The latest accounts left the central question focused on whether he can receive adequate medical care before his condition worsens further.

The immediate U.S. response is limited but real. Washington is seeking Gilman’s transfer to the Russian Federation, a step that depends on Russian authorities even as U.S. officials press the case through diplomatic channels. At this stage, the government’s practical tools are pressure, consular and diplomatic engagement, and keeping Gilman’s name in front of Moscow while his condition remains serious.

Gilman’s case fits a pattern that has repeatedly turned Americans held in Russia into high-stakes diplomatic flashpoints. Over the past several years, families, lawyers, and advocacy groups have pushed for medical treatment, humane conditions, and prisoner swaps when detainees’ health has deteriorated. Those cases often move beyond the courtroom and into the realm of bilateral bargaining, where humanitarian concerns and geopolitical leverage collide.

Advocacy groups have also alleged that Gilman suffered physical and psychological torture. Later coverage described him as a Massachusetts resident and a former Marine teacher, details that have sharpened public attention around a case that began with a criminal conviction in Russia and has since become a test of whether Moscow will respond to urgent appeals over his condition. With Washington and Moscow still at odds over sanctions and the war in Ukraine, Gilman’s health has become part of a broader struggle over Americans detained in Russia and the narrow options available to free them.