Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who is serving an extended prison term in Russia, has been admitted to a hospital, according to a report by Kommersant. Gilman’s lawyer told the newspaper that the inmate was receiving treatment, but added that it was too early to state a formal diagnosis.
Authorities handling the case have postponed judicial proceedings in the southern city of Voronezh. Kommersant said the delay affected a hearing on a prosecutor’s appeal against Gilman’s most recent sentence, with the suspension attributed to the prisoner’s unspecified illness.
Gilman was initially imprisoned in 2022 after being convicted of assaulting a police officer while intoxicated. His sentence was later lengthened in 2024 following additional convictions for assaults on prison officials and a state investigator. State media reported in December that after a subsequent conviction for assaulting prison staff, Gilman faced a combined sentence totaling 10 years.
Supporters of Gilman in the United States have maintained that he was unwell at the time of his first arrest. They contend that while incarcerated he was provoked into actions that led to the later charges. Those assertions have been presented by his advocates as context for the sequence of convictions and extensions of his term.
Separately, a source described as close to the Kremlin told reporters last year that Gilman was among nine Americans on a list of U.S. citizens jailed in Russia whom Washington sought to have released and returned to the United States. A request for comment was made to the U.S. State Department regarding Gilman’s hospitalization and the paused court hearing.
The reporting to date leaves several aspects of Gilman’s current condition and the legal timetable unclear. Officials have not released details of his medical status, and the court has not yet rescheduled the appeal hearing. Gilman’s supporters and the legal proceedings surrounding his case remain central to any developments that could follow from his hospitalization.
Timeline - key judicial milestones
- 2022 - Initial imprisonment after conviction for assaulting a police officer while drunk.
- 2024 - Sentence extended following convictions for assaulting prison officials and a state investigator.
- December (reported by state media) - Further conviction put his total sentence at 10 years.
- Recent - Hospital admission and postponement of a Voronezh court hearing on a prosecutor's appeal due to an unspecified illness.