Kieran Ramsey, the chief investigative officer for Global Reach who helped secure Marine veteran Robert Gilman’s freedom, revealed the horrific beatings and psychological warfare Russian authorities used during Gilman’s 1,666 days of captivity — and warned that five other Americans remain trapped in Russian prisons facing similar torment.
Ramsey told Fox News Digital that Russian interrogators went beyond physical abuse.
“He was provoked in prison. He was beaten in prison. He was forced to exercise, he was forced to fight and then he was told just some crazy things like, you know, there was a hit team to go assault his father in Boston,” Ramsey explained.
“Never have we seen the treatment that Mr. Gilman suffered as bad as anybody else.”
When asked if the Boston hit team threat had any legitimacy, Ramsey was blunt: “Totally psychological mumbo-jumbo disinformation campaign to make him feel awful.”
Gilman walked free Tuesday thanks to President Donald Trump’s full-court diplomatic press — a humanitarian release secured through what Ramsey called “good, quiet diplomacy” involving special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary Marco Rubio, and even the CIA director.
“Mr. Gilman’s home, no doubt, because of the leadership from President Trump. He made a full court press with his senior most team requesting that the Russians release him on a humanitarian basis, which is exactly what happened,” Ramsey said.
Gilman never intended to visit Russia. He was flying to a new teaching job in Moldova in 2022 when he became violently ill during a Moscow layover. His father had emigrated from Russia years earlier, so Gilman decided to recuperate with extended family while trying to renew his passport at the U.S. Embassy.
En route to the embassy, Gilman became sick again. Russian police found him in Voronezh, assumed he was drunk, assaulted him, then charged him with assaulting them.
“And then it just snowballed from there,” Ramsey said.
Gilman is now recovering in a U.S. hospital with family by his side. The State Department designated him a wrongful detainee, which gave him immediate access to medical care. Ramsey said Gilman “still has a long road to go.”
But Ramsey didn’t come forward just to celebrate one rescue. Global Reach represents five other Americans sitting in Russian prisons right now — all of whom, Ramsey argues, meet the legal criteria for wrongful-detainee status under the Robert Levinson Hostage-Taking and Accountability Act.
None have received that designation yet.
“There’s been a policy debate inside the State Department as to whether classifying them or categorizing them as wrongfully detained will raise the price in that diplomacy or that hostage diplomacy negotiations with the Russians to get their release,” Ramsey explained.
Here are the five Americans Ramsey says the U.S. must bring home:
Alexander Antonov — a California businessman and father who transited through Russia on his way home from Ukraine. Russian authorities stopped him, found his U.S. passport, and “immediately he became a target,” Ramsey said. Antonov was recently violently assaulted by another inmate and continues to face harassment for being American. He’s been detained just over a year.
David Barnes — a Texas native who flew to Russia to retrieve his children after his Russian ex-wife fled the country with them during a custody battle. The ex-wife made what Ramsey called unsubstantiated criminal claims, and Russian authorities arrested Barnes. He’s been imprisoned for over four years and has serious health issues.
Olga Jezler — a 36-year-old green card holder from New York who flew to Russia to care for her sister dying of cancer. She carried CBD oil, which Ramsey said was legal in Russia. Authorities charged her with drug trafficking anyway. Jezler has significant health problems and is at risk of losing her ability to have children — a condition easily treatable in the U.S.
Andre Khachatoorian — traveling through Russia to reach Armenia while transporting a rifle. Ramsey said Khachatoorian had all the proper paperwork. Russian authorities arrested him anyway. He has an autoimmune disease that continues to worsen after more than four years in a Russian prison.
Chuck Zimmerman — a Virginia native who sold everything to sail around the world and retire as a master electrician in New Zealand. While sailing through the Black Sea in international waters, the Russian Navy intercepted him and told him: “Under threat of force, you will follow us to the Russian port of Sochi or we will sink you.”
“He has very serious medical issues. He’s unable to eat without having to throw up immediately after. He’s losing weight at a very rapid pace. And, quite honestly, he’s losing hope.”
Zimmerman had a gun aboard his sailboat for self-defense. Russia charged him with international arms trafficking. He’s been imprisoned over a year. Medical experts consulted by Global Reach say he needs immediate treatment for a bleeding gastric ulcer or “something worse.”
Ramsey told Fox News Digital the U.S. can’t afford to lose momentum now that Gilman is home.
“Seeing Mr. Gilman come home was fantastic. But we alone have five other families that are going, ‘When can we expect the same for our loved one?’ And we have to keep the pressure up everywhere we can to make sure people know these folks’ names and have an expectation that the U.S. government is going to do everything they can to convince the Russians to let these people go.”
