Jailed US Marine Robert Gilman near death in Russia

Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine jailed in Russia since 2022, has slipped into a stupor and may be near death, according to advocacy groups and his sister. He was allegedly tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs. The United States — White House and the State Department have urged Moscow to release him for urgent medical treatment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Manila on July 23. Gilman is one of at least 10 Americans imprisoned in Russia. His death would complicate U.S.-Russia relations, already strained by the Iran and Ukraine wars. The Russian hospital has barred his mother from visiting despite a judicial order. Gilman was moved in late June to a psychiatric ward in a civilian hospital in Russia — Voronezh in a catatonic-like state. His family has asked the State Department to designate him as wrongfully detained, but no designation has been made. His sentence was reportedly extended to 10 years in 2024 for allegedly assaulting prison staff, which advocates deny.