The U.S. State Department has officially designated Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher imprisoned in Russia, as wrongfully detained. This move comes more than four years after his arrest on drug charges and intensifies efforts to secure his release.
Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport for possessing what his family states was medically prescribed marijuana. He is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence. Despite previous attempts, he was not included in a major prisoner exchange last year.
Following the exclusion, Fogel's legal team renewed pressure on the Biden administration to prioritize his case. The designation of "wrongfully detained" is determined by the State Department based on several factors including credible evidence of innocence, or if the detention is aimed at influencing US policy or seeking concessions.
State Department officials confirmed the decision, stating that Fogel had been granted the designation back in October. “The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time," they said in a statement, acknowledging past attempts to include him in a prior prisoner swap.
With the new designation, supervision of Fogel’s case now transfers to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. This State Department office is specifically focused on negotiating the release of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas, signaling a renewed and more focused effort to bring Fogel home.
