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The United States has officially designated Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania teacher serving a 14-year sentence in Russia, as “wrongfully detained.”
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in August of 2021, Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania schoolteacher with a decade of teaching experience in Moscow, was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Russia after customs officials found a small amount of medical marijuana—less than an ounce—in his luggage. Fogel claimed the marijuana was prescribed for chronic pain management, but Russian authorities charged him with drug smuggling, leading to a sentence of 14 years in a penal colony. Despite marijuana’s medical use being recognized in many countries, it is illegal in Russia, with the country having some of the strictest drug laws in the world.

What’s going on now: Today, the United States confirmed that it designated Fogel as “wrongfully detained,” a significant step that places his case under the jurisdiction of the State Department’s Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. In a statement, the State Department said, “The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time. 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.” This designation means the US government’s resources will now be mobilized to advocate for Fogel’s release, including intensified diplomatic efforts.
Fogel’s designation could lead to a potential prisoner swap, as his exclusion from previous exchanges was mainly due to the absence of a “wrongfully detained” status. Without it, Fogel was overlooked in high-profile swaps, such as the 2022 exchange that secured the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and other Americans held in Russia.
This all comes as the mother of Marc Fogel, Malphine Fogel, previously sued the State Department, accusing it of failing to explain why her son had not been designated as “wrongfully detained” despite circumstances similar to others who received the label, such as Brittney Griner. Following the new designation, Fogel’s wife, Jane, said, “We are 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. Now that we have the full force of the US government behind us, we must do everything in our power to bring Marc home as quickly and safely as possible.”