Former US marine faces new trial in Russia

Robert Gilman is facing new charges of assault against law-enforcement authorities, RIA Novosti reported
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Robert Gilman is already serving a prison sentence for attacking a police officer while drunk

Russia has begun a new trial of former US marine Robert Gilman, who is currently serving a prison sentence for attacking a police officer while intoxicated. He now faces new assault charges, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.

Gilman is charged with assaulting a prison official and a state investigator on four occasions, according to the outlet, which cited documents from the Central District Court of Voronezh. He allegedly punched the men in the head.

Prosecutors say that in September 2023, Gilman struck colony inspector Makarov while the corrections officer was checking his cell. The incident with Makarov was allegedly repeated in October, when the ex-marine was returning to his cell.

Later the same month, Gilman reportedly “dealt at least six blows” to a state investigator, causing him a concussion. Gilman was transferred to a pre-trial detention center, where on November 14, during a personal search, he “deliberately struck the inspector in the face with his right fist.”

The 30-year-old American has reportedly pleaded guilty to assaulting the men and said he was poisoned with “radioactive material” and claimed that “this whole hearing is pointless.”

In October 2022, Gilman was sentenced to 4.5 years in a Russian penal colony for a drunken attack on a police officer.

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Authorities removed the US army veteran from a train in Voronezh in January 2022 after several fellow passengers on the Sochi-to-Moscow route complained that he was drunk and creating a disturbance. Once in custody, he reportedly kicked a police officer.

Gilman claimed at the time that he did not remember the incident but nevertheless insisted he had “apologized to Russia,” as well as to the police officer.

The former marine, who pleaded guilty but insisted “it was an accident” and claimed he was the victim of poisoned vodka, complained that the sentence was too harsh.

The officer who was kicked, Sergey Strelnikov, dropped all charges against Gilman, arguing that the ex-marine had served sufficient time in pre-trial detention.

However, the nature of the charge – the use of violence against an authority figure – allowed proceedings to continue despite the absence of a victim. Gilman’s defense later filed an appeal, and in May 2023 his term was reduced by one year.