Overview
- U.S. officials and the White House say Gilman was released for humanitarian reasons and flown to the United States on a specialized medical plane, with his arrival reported Tuesday and a transfer to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
- Family members and advocates describe Gilman as very frail, verbal but non-ambulatory, and recently in a dissociative stupor who will need years of physical and psychological recovery.
- The State Department has designated Gilman as wrongfully detained; he was first arrested in Russia in 2022 and later received successive convictions that extended his sentence to roughly 10 years.
- President Trump and his envoys were publicly credited by family and administration officials for pressing for Gilman’s release, and the White House says Russia asked for no one in return.
- Advocates and U.S. officials say several Americans remain held in Russia and hope Gilman’s unilateral humanitarian release can be used to press for the return of other detainees.