The State Department announced that an American teacher arrested at a Russian airport on drug charges more than three years ago has been designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government.
Marc Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, is serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.
Fogel was left out of a massive prisoner swap in August that freed multiple Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan.
US CITIZEN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA GIVEN NEW 15-YEAR SENTENCE IN WAKE OF ESPIONAGE CONVICTION
Lisa Hyland, left, and other family members of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since August 2021, rally outside the White House for his release, July 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP)
After the prisoner exchange, which also freed a dozen German nationals, lawyers for Fogel’s family again pushed for the Biden administration to work toward securing his freedom, including by designating him as wrongfully detained.
The State Department considers several factors when choosing whether to designate an American jailed in a foreign country as wrongfully detained, such as whether there is credible information that the person is innocent or if they are being held primarily to influence U.S. policy or secure concessions from the U.S. government.
“The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time,” the State Department said in a statement. “We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to. The Secretary determined Marc is wrongfully detained in October.”
GOP REP INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN ‘MARC FOGEL ACT’ PUSHING STATE DEPT FOR ANSWERS ON AMERICANS JAILED OVERSEAS
Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that Marc Fogel is wrongfully detained in October, according to the State Department. (Photos courtesy Ellen Keelan and Lisa Hyland)
Designating someone as wrongfully detained traditionally moves supervision of their case to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs’s office, which is within the State Department and focuses on negotiating for the release of hostages and other Americans classified as being wrongfully detained in foreign countries.
Fogel’s wife, Jane, and his sons, Ethan and Sam, said in a statement they were grateful that the State Department “has finally acknowledged what we have known all along — that our husband and father, Marc Fogel, has and continues to be wrongfully detained.”
RUSSIA DETAINS SUSPECT ACCUSED OF KILLING HIGH-RANKING GENERAL IN MOSCOW
The exterior of the State Department complex is seen on March 14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“Now that we have the full force of the U.S. government behind us, we must do everything in our power to bring Marc home as quickly and safely as possible,” the family continued.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
