Marc Fogel, a teacher from Oakmont, Pennsylvania, has been stuck in a Russian prison for over two years. Why? For carrying 17 grams of medical marijuana to treat his chronic back pain. In August 2021, Marc was arrested at a Moscow airport and sentenced to 14 years in a high-security Russian prison.
Since his arrest, Marc’s family and U.S. lawmakers have been fighting to bring him home. Thousands of people signed petitions, and politicians like Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman have pushed President Joe Biden to take action. While U.S. and Russia made a deal to release prisoners like WNBA star Brittney Griner, Marc wasn’t included. In August, another swap took place, but Marc’s name was once again left off the list. President Biden has assured his family, “We’re not giving up on that.”
But here’s the good news: In October, Marc Fogel was officially designated as “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. government. This label means the full power of the U.S. government is now behind getting him home. It opens up a team of officials dedicated to his release and puts pressure on Russia.
This is a huge step forward, but it’s still uncertain how long it will take. The fight to bring Marc home is far from over, but with this new designation, there’s hope.
Marc’s family is keeping the pressure on, and we all hope to see him back where he belongs—home.
