Russia frees ailing former US marine after Putin approves 'goodwill' pardon
Russia freed a former US marine jailed since 2022 after President Vladimir Putin approved a pardon for the ailing American on humanitarian grounds, US officials said. The White House and State Department had pressed Moscow for his release so he could receive medical treatment.
Russia freed a former US marine jailed since 2022 on Tuesday after President Vladimir Putin approved a pardon for the ailing American on humanitarian grounds, US officials said. The release follows sustained pressure from Washington for his return.
The White House and the State Department had urged Moscow to release Robert Gilman, 32, so he could receive medical treatment in the United States. Gilman had been held in a prison in Voronezh, about 340 miles south of Moscow.
The exact circumstances of his health remain unclear, though US officials characterized the release as a welcome humanitarian development. The move marks the latest in a series of periodic prisoner releases and pardons between the two countries amid otherwise strained relations.
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