The defense of Robert Gilman, a former policeman and former US Marine, has announced the decision not to appeal the recent increase in his prison sentence in Russia, according to statements from his lawyer Irina Pragnikova collected by TASS. Gilman, who once served in the Marines and later worked as an English teacher, received two years added to his sentence as a result of new incidents inside the prison, bringing his total sentence to ten years. Meanwhile, Gilman’s case continues to develop, as the former soldier is expected to face another indictment, according to information provided by the defense team and published by the Russian news agency.
As TASS reported in detail and as reported by the media, the Voronezh Central Court added two years to Gelman’s sentence, after convicting him of assault in prison. This new sentence is in addition to several previous extensions of the original sentence imposed on him in 2022 for assaulting a police officer. Gilman has since received additional penalties stemming from incidents reported while in custody. The defence, represented by Brazhnikova, expected that the ongoing new accusation would be evaluated in an independent process, although it avoided providing further details about the content or scope of the facts investigated, according to information from TASS.
Robert Gilman’s case is placed in a unique situation, as the American citizen is among an estimated group of about a dozen Americans currently detained in Russian prisons, TASS reported. The former military man was initially arrested in Russia and sentenced for attacking a police officer, marking the beginning of a series of judicial events that led to his detention in the country being significantly lengthened.
TASS media reported that US authorities have not yet issued public comments regarding the recent ruling against Gilman or any additional charges that may be brought against him in the future. The absence of official statements from the US government keeps the diplomatic realm in which the former Marine’s status may lie uncertain.
Irina Brazhnikova, Gilman’s legal representative, confirmed that the decision not to appeal the latest ruling responds to the defense strategy, taking into account the accumulation of previous rulings and additional charges. In her words to TASS, the lawyer explained that the new judicial process for another incident will be dealt with in a separate file, the contents of which have not been disclosed to the press at the present time.
Gilman’s case reflects a pattern of criminal proceedings for some foreign nationals detained in Russia, who may face consecutive extensions of their sentences as a result of events inside prison centers. According to TASS, the former marine soldier went to work as an English teacher after his military service, before he was arrested and tried on Russian territory.
The context of Gilman’s case joins other cases of Americans arrested in Russia, which have led to extensive judicial proceedings and, at times, diplomatic negotiations between the two countries. TASS documented that the extension of the former soldier’s sentence comes in response to committing misdemeanors inside the prison, repeating previous positions in his file.
TASS indicated that Russian prison authorities and the local judicial system strictly monitored Gelman’s behavior during his imprisonment, a factor that influenced the identification of new charges and the increase of his sentence. Information available in the court file indicates that each incident was treated individually and aggregated into the American’s total sentence.
At present, Gilman’s family and human rights organizations have not publicly expressed their position on extending the sentence, and there is no official report on the current state of health or the conditions in which he is serving his sentence. According to TASS, the next procedural stage will be key to determining whether the number of years accumulated in prison will continue to increase for former US Marines.
The case is still ongoing in Russian courts, and any news about possible bilateral negotiations or diplomatic measures related to the detention of American citizens in Russia remains pending, TASS reported.