Fogel, who suffers from chronic pain after multiple surgeries on his back, knees, hips and rotator cuff, had been carrying half an ounce of medical marijuana prescribed by his doctor in the United States
Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who has been imprisoned in Russia since August 2021, has been released, the White House said Tuesday.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia,” according to a statement from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz just after 1 p.m. Eastern.
“President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the President’s advisors negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” the statement continued. “Since President Trump’s swearing-in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States. By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil and reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump’s leadership.”
No further details were provided.
Adam Boehler, Trump’s U.S. envoy for hostages, posted a photo on the social media platform X roughly an hour later showing Fogel on an airplane kissing a glass of liquid and holding a plate of food and a U.S. passport.
Trump is expected to greet Fogel at the White House Tuesday night, according to the president’s schedule.
Fogel’s family could not be immediately reached for comment.
History teacher arrested at airport
Fogel, 63, was most recently imprisoned in Rybinsk, about six hours north of Moscow.
The international baccalaureate history teacher with over three decades of academic experience throughout the world was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in August 2021.
He was accused by Russian authorities of having marijuana in contact lens cases and cannabis oil e-cigarette cartridges in his luggage. Fogel, who suffers from chronic pain after multiple surgeries on his back, knees, hips and rotator cuff, had been carrying half an ounce of medical marijuana prescribed by his doctor in the United States, according to his family and lawmakers who advocated for his release.
He and his wife, Jane, had been returning to the Russian capital to finish their 10th and final year teaching at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, closing out a 35-year career teaching abroad in Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Oman, Venezuela and Russia.
Fogel was convicted in June 2022 and subsequently sentenced for “large-scale drug smuggling,” according to international news media reports quoting a Russian interior ministry statement. He was sentenced to 14 years in a hard labor camp.
Long-awaited release
Fogel is the latest among several Americans held in Russia to be released.
The southwestern Pennsylvania native was not among the Biden administration’s large prisoner swap with Russia in early August that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and 14 others.
WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner was released in a prisoner swap in early December 2022. Griner had been held in Russian custody for 10 months after authorities found cannabis oil in her luggage. She had been sentenced to nine years in prison.
Former Marine Trevor Reed’s release was secured by U.S. officials during a prisoner swap in April 2022. The American had been arrested on espionage charges in 2018 and sentenced to nine years imprisonment.
A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers on Capitol Hill criticized the U.S. Department of State for years for not designating Fogel as “wrongfully detained” — a status that prioritizes efforts to rescue Americans detained abroad. Lawmakers introduced legislation in both chambers to urge former President Joe Biden to change Fogel’s status.
“We’re here just letting them know that we’re not forgetting my brother, and that he needs to be designated as wrongfully detained,” Anne Fogel, Marc’s sister, told States Newsroom in July 2023.
The Biden administration finally designated Fogel as wrongfully detained in late December.
Pennsylvania lawmakers celebrate
Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, which advocated on Fogel’s behalf as recently as last month, celebrated Tuesday.
“Marc Fogel’s return home is long overdue — and I know all of Pennsylvania, especially his family, will be welcoming him back with open arms,” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said in a statement. “I commend President Trump and Steve Witkoff for their efforts in finally bringing Marc home.”
Fetterman, along with Pennsylvania’s newly elected Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, co-led a Jan. 23 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging a “renewed commitment” to Fogel’s release. Eleven members of the commonwealth’s House delegation signed on.
Prior to Fetterman’s and McCormick’s elections to office, Pennsylvania’s former U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, a Democrat, and Pat Toomey, a Republican, advocated for Fogel’s release.
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, who represents the Pennsylvania town where a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump in July, said the president made a promise to Fogel’s family while on the campaign trail.
“When President Trump met with Marc Fogel’s mother, Malphine, in Butler on July 13, 2024, he pledged to do everything he could to bring Marc home safely. Today, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and the Trump administration have fulfilled this promise,” Kelly posted on social media Tuesday.
Trump was meeting with Fogel’s 95-year-old mother Malphine less than 30 minutes before the attempt on his life, according to Pittsburgh’s TribLive.
“I want to thank President Trump for successfully securing Marc’s release and for reuniting the Fogel family. For years, I have met with the Fogels and have strongly advocated for Marc’s release. He is a Butler County native and Malphine is one of my constituents,” Kelly said.
Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, who represents the very southwest corner of the state, posted on social media, “Marc spent 1,255 days locked away in a Russian penal colony under the Biden Administration. President Trump freed Marc in just 22 days.”
Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio, who represents the nearby 17th Congressional District, released a video on X celebrating the “great news from (Marc) and his family.”
“Our delegation, and both parties across administrations, worked hard to bring him home. That’s what you should expect as an American, that your Government will never leave you behind,” Deluzio said.
This article was republished from States Newsroom under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. You can read the original version here.
