“The release of Mr. Gilman was not related to a prisoner exchange, nor were any other concessions granted,” said a department representative in an email.
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“The Russian government released Mr. Gilman for humanitarian reasons,” the letter stated.
In 2022, a Russian court sentenced R. Gilman to five and a half years in prison for assaulting a police officer. Later, his sentence was extended to 10 years due to violence against prison officers.
The State Department confirmed that he was recently classified as one of the “wrongfully detained” individuals in Russia.
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R. Gilman’s sister Lexie Hudson recently mentioned in a statement his severely deteriorated health condition and urged his urgent release.
“This administration will continue to work to secure the release of all Americans wrongfully detained in Russia, including wrongfully detained Stephen Hubbard,” the State Department added.
S. Hubbard, a retiree and former English teacher, was sentenced in a closed court hearing in October 2024 to nearly seven years in prison for “mercenary activities” in favor of Ukraine. He denies these charges.
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