The State Department announced that an American teacher had been arrested at Airports in Russia on drug charges more than three years ago he was designated as wrongfully detained by the US government.
Marc Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in prison. drug possessionwhich his family and supporters said was marijuana prescribed by doctors.
Fogel was left out of a major prisoner swap in August that freed dozens of Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and trade defense director Paul Whelan.
US CITIZEN WHO BROUGHT TO RUSSIA ENDED UP WITH NEW 15-YEAR SENTENCE FOR TERRORISM.
Lisa Hyland, left, and other family members of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since August 2021, gather outside the White House for his release, July 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP)
After the prisoner swap, which freed a dozen German nationals, the Fogel family's lawyers again pressed the Biden administration to work to secure his release, including call it a false arrest.
The Department of State considers several factors when determining whether to designate an American detained abroad as wrongfully detained, such as whether there is credible information that the person is innocent or is being held at large -largely influence US policy or secure US government approval.
“The United States has been working to secure the release of Marc Fogel for a long time,” the State Department said in a statement. “For a long time we wanted him to be released from humanitarian aid and we tried to include him in the agreement of August 1, but we could not. The secretary decided that Marc was wrongfully arrested in October.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken ruled that Marc Fogel was wrongly detained in October, according to the State Department. (Photos by Ellen Keelan and Lisa Hyland)
Designating a wrongful arrestee traditionally takes his or her case to the Office of the Special Representative of the President for Immigration Affairs, which is located within the State Department and focuses on parole negotiations. when detainees and other Americans are considered wrongfully detained in other countries.
Fogel's wife, Jane, and sons, Ethan and Sam, said in a statement that they were grateful that the State Department “finally acknowledged what we've known all along — that our husband and father, Marc Fogel, he has continued to make mistakes.”
RUSSIA CONTINUES TO DENIAL ASSASSINATION OF HIGH-LEVEL MOSCOW.
The exterior of the State Department building is seen on March 14, 2023, in Washington, DC (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“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,” the family continued. first.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.