WASHINGTON — The U.S. government has officially classified an American schoolteacher held in Russia on drug-related allegations as wrongfully detained, as announced by the State Department on Friday.
Marc Fogel, who hails from Pennsylvania and teaches history, is currently enduring a 14-year sentence after his arrest at a Russian airport in August 2021. He was found to be in possession of what his family and supporters assert was marijuana that had been prescribed for medical reasons.
Fogel’s name was notably absent from a significant prisoner exchange last August, which successfully returned Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, among others. This absence prompted Fogel’s family and legal representatives to urge the Biden administration to actively pursue his release and advocate for his wrongful detention status.
When assessing whether to classify an American imprisoned abroad as wrongfully detained, the State Department takes into account several important factors. These include credible evidence supporting the individual’s innocence and whether the detention appears aimed at exerting influence on U.S. policies or seeking concessions from the American government.
Officials confirmed on Friday that Fogel had received this wrongful detention designation.
“The United States has been advocating for Marc Fogel’s release for quite some time. We have consistently called for his humanitarian release and attempted to involve him in the August 1 deal, but were unsuccessful. The Secretary determined Marc to be wrongfully detained in October,” the department stated.
This designation typically means that the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs will oversee the handling of the case, as this office specializes in negotiating the release of hostages and Americans deemed wrongfully detained abroad.
In a heartfelt statement, Fogel’s wife, Jane, alongside their sons, Ethan and Sam, expressed their gratitude that “the State Department has finally recognized what we have known all along — that our husband and father, Marc Fogel, has been and remains wrongfully detained.”
“With the full backing of the U.S. government now on our side, it is imperative that we do everything possible to bring Marc home as swiftly and safely as we can,” they added in their statement.
