The State Department recently made an announcement concerning an American teacher who was arrested in a Russian airport on drug charges over three years ago. This American teacher has now been classified as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government.
Marc Fogel, a history teacher hailing from Pennsylvania, has been handed a 14-year prison sentence following his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport. He was apprehended for having drugs in his possession, which his family and supporters claim were medically prescribed marijuana.
Unfortunately, Fogel was not included in a significant prisoner exchange that took place in August. This exchange led to the release of several Americans, among them Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan.
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.
