Pittsburgh (KDKA) — Mark VogelA Pennsylvania man jailed in Russia has been found to be “wrongfully detained,” according to a US State Department spokesman.
This designation by the US government was officially made in October.
Vogel is currently serving a 14-year sentence in Russia for possession of medical marijuana.
Who is Mark Vogel?
When the Butler County native and his wife returned to Russia in August 2021 for their 10th and final year of study in the country, Mark Vogel was detained at an airport in Moscow after his family said he was carrying 17 grams of cannabis medical reasons. for the treatment of chronic back pain.
An Oakmont teacher was found guilty of drug smuggling and drug possession and sentenced to 14 years in a maximum security prison in Russia.
Fight to bring Mark Vogel home
Since Mark Vogel's incarceration, family and lawmakers have called on lawmakers to bring him home.
In 2022, thousands of people signed a petition calling on the US government to do more to bring him home. Legislatorsincluding Pennsylvania Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman and US Representative Guy Reschenthaler also pressured President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to declare his imprisonment wrongful.
In December 2022, the United States and Russia agreed on a prisoner exchange that included WNBA player Brittney Grinerbut Mark Vogel was not included in the deal.
In August, another prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States brought home all the Street Journal reporters Evan Hershkovicha veteran of the Marine Corps Paul Whelan and a Russian-American radio journalist Also Kurmashovabut not Mark Vogel.
When President Biden was asked about Mark Vogel in august he said – We do not refuse it.
An attempt was made to include Vogel in a deal on Aug. 1, but officials were unable to do so.
Malfina Vogel, mother of Mark Vogel, previously criticized the Biden administration for not returning her son home.
“Maybe I'm on borrowed time” Malfin Vogel told KDKA-TV in July. “I don't know how much time I have. I want to get home while I know him.”
What does illegally detained mean?
Wrongfully detained is a designation that puts the full force of the US government to ensure the release of the prisoner.
According to the US State Departmentonce it is determined that a person has been unlawfully detained, offices “across the State Department and other US government agencies will work in collaboration with colleagues inside and outside government to develop a strategy to secure their release.”
Obtaining a decision is rare because most arrests or detentions of Americans abroad “arise as a result of legitimate law enforcement and judicial processes,” according to the government.
Malfin Vogel sued the government in June to bring my son home from Russia.
What's next for Mark Vogel?
Once the Secretary of State declares someone to be unlawfully detained, the US government is required by law to work for their release and can impose sanctions against the country holding them.
It also means the case is being transferred to a division known as the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, or SPEHA, which negotiates the release of detainees and hostages around the world.
But there is no set timeline for how long it takes to release someone.
KD Fabián and Caitlin Yilek reported.