Marine’s release from Russian prison reignites calls to free other Americans with health problems

Marine’s release from Russian prison reignites calls to free other Americans with health problems The State Department has said it is aware of concerns about medical care and continues to raise the issue with the Russians - Bookmark The recent release of Marine veteran Robert Gilman from Russian custody ended more than four years of imprisonment, but his visibly frail condition has raised alarming questions for the families of Americans still detained there. Watching the news coverage from the United States, Harold Jezler saw Gilman's gaunt appearance and immediately worried about what it meant for his 36-year-old wife, Olga, who has been held in Russia since 2022 while suffering from her own deteriorating health issues. "You just look at the pictures and the guy is not in good shape. It’s concerning for me and for all the families, I would imagine," Jezler said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Is this what it takes for the government to really make a move and prioritize this — that the person is basically in dire straits? It was a very bittersweet thing to see that." Although Gilman’s freedom follows a series of prisoner releases over recent years, numerous Americans remain incarcerated in Russia. Relatives and advocates report that several suffer from unaddressed or inadequately treated medical conditions, escalating the urgency of diplomatic efforts to secure their freedom. Those still captive include a Navy veteran with a gastrointestinal condition, a man suffering from an autoimmune disease, another with severe dental damage, and Olga Jezler, who was diagnosed with endometriosis—a condition involving abnormal tissue growth from the uterus that can cause severe pain and infertility. "These are American citizens who are innocent of violations of Russian law. They're being held in Russia because they are Americans or because they have American status, and we shouldn't need to wait for their health to be on the brink of death for there to be an urgency to bring them home," said Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer for Global Reach, an advocacy firm representing several Americans jailed in Russia. The State Department noted that it remains aware of these medical concerns and raises them regularly with Russian authorities. A message sent to the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service seeking comment went unanswered. Former detainee describes medical care in Russian prisons Former detainee Paul Whelan noted that despite likely receiving better care than typical prisoners due to his high-profile espionage charges—which Washington called baseless—his five years in Russian captivity revealed a severely lacking system. Whelan recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, guards handed out extra raw onions as a makeshift immunity measure. Dental care often meant extracting teeth rather than restoring them, while inmates relied on makeshift bandages and traded with guards for fresh produce. During an emergency nighttime hernia operation, Whelan witnessed surgical tools dropped on the floor being placed directly back onto the operating tray. "The poor conditions are part of the punishment," said Whelan, who was freed in 2024 in a blockbuster prisoner swap. "You are supposed to get less of everything than normal citizens would get." Substandard medical treatment in Russian facilities has drawn international scrutiny for years, notably following the 2009 death of whistleblower lawyer Sergei Magnitsky from untreated pancreatitis, and the case of Trevor Reed, a Marine veteran released in 2022 after coughing up blood and suffering from a broken rib and lung pain. Gilman, a schoolteacher from Massachusetts, was imprisoned in 2022 on charges of assaulting a police officer—allegations disputed by his family and rejected by the State Department, which designated him as wrongfully detained. Lebson stated that prior to his release, Gilman spent 47 days in "a dissociative stupor" caused by prison abuse, eventually requiring hospitalization where he was fed through a tube while handcuffed to a bed. Liz Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, said images of Gilman returning home exposed the neglect he endured. "We know he wasn't getting the medical care and treatment that he needs." "I really do think Russia realized, if we don't release him, he is going to die, and that would create an international incident between our two countries — to have a Marine Corps veteran, an American, die in custody in Russia because of their treatment," Richards said. Calls to release other Americans with health problems Concerns also persist for Chuck Zimmerman, 59, who was intercepted by the Russian navy in international waters in June 2025 while sailing to New Zealand. Sentenced to five years on weapons transport charges after declaring firearms upon arriving at the port of Sochi, Zimmerman developed severe stomach pain that frequently forces him to induce vomiting for relief. Medical experts consulted by Hostage US suggest his symptoms point to a gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, or a hiatal hernia with gastric bypass complications. "It's heart-wrenching to know that he's having to make himself do that to stop the pain," said his sister, Robin Stultz, who noted her brother fears dying in custody. "It's hard for me to sit down and eat dinner knowing that he's throwing up his." Pointing to Gilman's condition, 16 senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding heightened efforts to free five additional Americans: Zimmerman, Jezler, Aleksandr Antonov (who has a traumatic brain injury), Andre Khachatoorian (jailed nearly five years with an autoimmune disorder), and David Barnes (in need of urgent dental surgery). Other detainees include Stephen Hubbard, classified as wrongfully detained while accused of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, and Travis Leake, a rock musician held on drug charges. The Foley Foundation estimates about 28 Americans are imprisoned in Russia, six of whom it considers wrongfully detained. Olga Jezler, a green card holder, was arrested in 2022 while visiting her cancer-stricken sister in Russia, after being charged over CBD capsules her family maintains were legal to carry. With a growing ovarian cyst caused by her endometriosis, her family fears Russian doctors will simply extract the ovary rather than perform the tissue-sparing surgery standard in the US. Reflecting on their recent seventh anniversary, Harold Jezler pointed out it was the fifth one they have spent apart. "She's been there," he lamented, "way over half our marriage."