Reuters: US citizen serving sentence in Russia in critical condition
Former US Marine Robert Gilman, a US citizen serving a sentence in Russia, has been admitted to a psychiatric ward, according to Reuters, with human rights activists expressing concern that his condition is critical and that he may have been tortured in prison.
Reuters reports that the condition of Robert Gilman, a US citizen and former Marine who has been held in Russia since 2022, has worsened. He has fallen into a state of dissociative stupor and his life may be in danger.
According to sources, at the end of June, Gilman, who was serving a sentence in a penitentiary in Voronezh, was transferred from the prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of one of the city hospitals.
According to Eric Lebson, a representative of the human rights organization Global Reach, Gilman is in a state similar to catatonia, and doctors have diagnosed him with a "dissociative stupor." In this state, a person almost loses the ability to make voluntary movements and respond to external stimuli.
Human rights activists say that Gilman is currently unable to communicate, is fed food and fluids through a tube, and his eyes are constantly closed. For this reason, he is also unable to attend court hearings.
Elizabeth Richards, a spokeswoman for the Foley Foundation, also said the prisoner was not receiving the necessary medical care and that there were serious concerns about his life and safety.
Richards and Lebson said that Robert Gilman was held in harsh conditions in prison, may have been subjected to torture and injections of mind-altering drugs. In their opinion, these factors were the reason for his transfer to a civilian hospital.
According to Reuters, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also raised the issue of Gilman during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila on July 23. Washington is trying to secure the release of the 32-year-old US citizen so that he can receive urgent medical care.
Robert Gilman was initially sentenced to 4.5 years in prison in 2022 for assaulting a police officer in Voronezh, but his sentence was later reduced to 3.5 years. However, in 2024, his sentence was extended to 10 years for assaulting colony staff. The defendant admitted to hitting some staff members, but explained his actions by various conflicts.