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US Marine veteran released from Russian prison after 1,666 days of detention

US Marine veteran released from Russian prison after 1,666 days of detention

United States Marine veteran Robert Gilman was released from Russian custody Tuesday on humanitarian grounds after 1,666 days in prison, Fox News has learned. Gilman, a U.S. citizen, was arrested on Jan. 17, 2022, in Voronezh, Russia, and sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison. While in custody, he was subject to harsh and abusive treatment, putting him into “a catatonic state,” according to Gilman family representative Kieran Ramsey. In a Friday interview with Fox News, Ramsey detailed the events that led to Gilman’s arrest. “If we back up in November of 2021, he is on his way to Moldova. So he’s not even supposed to travel to Russia. But in his travels, he gets violently ill and ends up having to stop in Moscow, ” Ramsey told Fox News. AMERICAN EX-MARINE FEARED NEAR DEATH AFTER WEEKS IN CATATONIC STATE IN RUSSIAN PRISON “He ends up going to a relative’s house to recuperate because of this illness. In January of 2022, after what he thought was a full recovery, he goes to the U.S. embassy to renew his passport. But en route he becomes violently ill again. And at that point the Russian police approach him thinking he’s drunk, claiming they that he assaults them, and then they proceed to assault him and arrest him and charge him. And that nightmare has exponentially expanded since that point,” Ramsey said. The U.S. State Department referred to Gilman as a wrongful detainee and said his release was part of an exchange with Russia, telling Fox News that “no other concessions were provided.” Ramsey also conveyed the dire state of Gilman’s medical status. “Our main concern is that we think he’s dying in a Russian hospital. And the Russians won’t let his mother even visit him, let alone embassy staff,” he told Fox News. “Right now, he is in a catatonic state. He’s being fed through a tube that goes down his nose into his stomach. And quite honestly, we were afraid he may already be dead or he may not come out of this,” Ramsey added. Gilman was transferred out of prison and into a civilian hospital in Voronezh on June 30. “Robert’s full medical assessment will be done when he gets back to the US and his family will join him at a US military hospital in Texas, as he starts the long road to recovery,” Ramsey said in a statement Tuesday. PENCE COMMENDS TRUMP FOR WINNING FREEDOM OF BEIJING’S ZION CHURCH PASTOR EZRA JIN FROM CHINESE DETENTION Robert’s sister Lexie Hudson thanked President Donald Trump and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., for their efforts in securing Gilman’s release. “I am so grateful to President Trump for saving my brother’s life. There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” Hudson said in a statement provided to Fox News through the nonprofit Global Relief. “I want to thank Senator Ed Markey for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress. He and his staff were personally involved in Robert’s case and we will forever be grateful,” Hudson said. Both Hudson and Ramsey highlighted the severe nature of Gilman’s detention. “The Russians treated my brother so badly. They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?” Hudson asked. LAWYER FOR AMERICAN DETAINED IN IRAN SAYS HOSTAGE DEAL IS ‘EASIEST PROBLEM ON THE TABLE’ FOR BOTH SIDES “I’ll tell you this,” Ramsey told Fox News, “I have a lot of experience in the hostage space. Having been the head of the Hostage Recovery Fusion cell at the FBI, and Robert Gilman is by far one of the worst cases I’ve seen when it comes to how the Russians are treating Americans in prison. The fact that he is in a near catatonic state. And again, we believe he’s at risk of death is just frightening for this family. It should be frightening to every American that sees this report,” Ramsey said. Gilman is the third U.S. Marine to be taken prisoner in Russia in the last decade, following Russia’s detention of Paul Whelan in 2018 and Trevor Reed in 2019. Both were later released in prisoner swaps. Global Relief, in a statement provided to Fox News, pointed out that five other wrongfully detained Americans remain in Russian prisons, “each with deteriorating medical issues.” “It is critical that the Administration uses the momentum of Robert’s release to bring home Aleksandr Antonov, David Barnes, Olga Jezler, Andre Khachatoorian, and Chuck Zimmerman before it is too late,” Global Relief’s Chief Strategy Officer Eric Lebson said in a statement.

Dem governor booed at Virginia Old Fiddlers’ Convention

Dem governor booed at Virginia Old Fiddlers’ Convention

Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger was greeted by a chorus of boos at the Virginia Old Fiddlers’ Convention over the weekend, as the governor faces sagging poll numbers and lingering political fallout from Democrats’ failed push to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional map. Spanberger was met with boos after she was introduced and stepped to the microphone at the longtime Galax gathering, where musicians and spectators were marking the convention’s 90th year. Video from the event showed a chilly reception from portions of the crowd as the Democratic governor took the stage for about half of a minute. Spanberger later highlighted her visit in a social media video but made no mention of the boos. WATCH: SPANBERGER KNOCKED FOR ‘BAIT AND SWITCH’ HYPOCRISY AS POPULARITY PLUMMETS AMID REDISTRICTING FIASCO “I’m in Galax. We just went to the Old Fiddlers’ Convention and I joined community members at the Poor Man’s Dinner,” Spanberger said. “It was an incredible time. There was great food, great music, and great community.” Spanberger’s political standing has slipped just months into her first year in office. A July Virginia Commonwealth University poll found 44% of registered voters approved of her job performance while 47% disapproved, an unusually weak showing for a new Virginia governor, according to the university’s pollsters. Spanberger has also emerged from a bruising battle over mid-decade redistricting. The governor backed a Democratic effort that could have dramatically reshaped Virginia’s congressional delegation. Voters narrowly approved the proposal in April on the back of a reported $70 million ballot campaign, but the Supreme Court of Virginia later struck down the effort in a 4-3 ruling, finding lawmakers had failed to follow required constitutional procedures. The existing congressional map remained in place. SUPREME COURT DEALS BLOW TO VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS IN FIGHT OVER STATE COURT ELECTION MAP RULING For Spanberger, a former congresswoman who campaigned for governor as a pragmatic moderate focused heavily on affordability, the Galax appearance offered Republicans another opening to argue that her early months in Richmond have alienated some of the voters she pledged to represent. Republican Del. Tom Garrett, who represents Virginia’s 56th District, said the chilly reception was warranted and pointed back to the wasteful redistricting fight. “She campaigned, and she was asked about doing a mid-decade redistrict to grab power and take voices away from people outside of Northern Virginia,” Garrett told WSET. “She said she wouldn’t do it and then she led the charge.” Republican Del. Wren Williams, whose district includes Galax, also praised the crowd for making its displeasure known. LIZ PEEK: DEMOCRATS’ AFFORDABILITY SCAM COLLAPSES IN STATES THEY ACTUALLY RUN “If you think about the affordability agenda that has been run on and that she has championed, where are the results of that?” Williams said. “And we know the millions of dollars spent trying to disenfranchise the exact individuals that she is now trying to come and pander.” The governor’s office struck a far different tone when asked about the visit, saying Spanberger and her husband, Adam, enjoyed their time at both the convention and the Poor Man’s Dinner. “Governor Spanberger and her husband Adam had a wonderful time at the Old Fiddlers’ Convention and Poor Man’s Dinner in Galax this weekend — talking to many community members, enjoying the music and festivities, and celebrating the convention’s 90th year,” her office said in a statement. “The Governor is grateful to all those who work year after year to make this event a success and a point of pride for all Virginians.” Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office for a response to the boos, but has not yet heard back. The Old Fiddlers’ Convention is a longstanding Galax tradition that draws musicians and visitors for bluegrass and old-time music performances and competitions. The episode also highlighted a geographic challenge for Democrats in Virginia. Spanberger won the governorship by 15 points last November, but the chilly reception in Southwest Virginia offered a vivid reminder of the resistance she continues to face outside the Democratic strongholds of Northern Virginia and other population centers.