US Teacher Marc Fogel Wrongfully Detained in Russia

US Teacher Marc Fogel Wrongfully Detained in Russia

State Department designates American teacher Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained in Russia after 2021 arrest for medical marijuana possession.

The State Department has formally designated Marc Fogel, an American educator imprisoned in Russia on substance-related accusations, as wrongfully detained, officials confirmed December 27.

Fogel, who taught history and hailed from Pennsylvania, was taken into custody at a Russian aviation facility in August 2021 for carrying marijuana, which family members and advocates maintain was legally prescribed for health purposes. He is presently serving a 14-year sentence.

After Fogel was not included in a significant prisoner trade that freed journalist Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal and business security official Paul Whelan this August, his relatives intensified their campaign for enhanced American governmental action.

Those supporting him pressed the Biden administration to label him as wrongfully detained, a classification that generally leads to heightened diplomatic activity to obtain a detainee's freedom.

Officials at the State Department validated Fogel's new designation, noting that the determination came after evaluating various elements, including whether his imprisonment serves as leverage to influence American policies or secure governmental concessions.

"We have been working on securing Marc Fogel's release for some time. We previously called for his release on humanitarian grounds and attempted to include him in the August 1 arrangement, but were unsuccessful. The Secretary determined Marc's wrongful detention status in October," the department stated, as reported by the Associated Press. It remains uncertain why officials delayed announcing this designation.

Under this new classification, Fogel's situation will transfer to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which specializes in securing freedom for Americans unjustly held overseas.

According to reports, Fogel's spouse Jane and their children Ethan and Sam released a statement expressing their appreciation for the designation. "The State Department has finally confirmed what we've always known — that our husband and father, Marc Fogel, has been and continues to be wrongfully detained," they remarked.

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