{"id":2317652,"date":"2024-08-01T15:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T19:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-teacher-marc-fogel-not-included-in-prisoner-swap-with-russia-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T15:51:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T19:51:50","slug":"american-teacher-marc-fogel-not-included-in-prisoner-swap-with-russia-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-teacher-marc-fogel-not-included-in-prisoner-swap-with-russia-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"American teacher Marc Fogel not included in prisoner swap with Russia &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famerican-teacher-marc-fogel-not-included-in-prisoner-swap-with-russia-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2317652&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the case of Marc \u2062Fogel, an American teacher who remains imprisoned \u2063in Russia despite a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/10-babylon-bee-headlines-that-no-longer-sound-like-satire\/\" title=\"10 Babylon Bee Headlines That No Longer Sound Like Satire\">prisoner swap<\/a> involving other Americans, including journalist Evan Gershkovich. Fogel, a Pennsylvania native, has lived\u2064 in\u2062 Russia \u200csince 2012 and taught the children of diplomats. He was arrested in August 2021 for \u2063possessing a small \u2062amount of medical marijuana,\u200c which he required for chronic pain. \u200cAlthough he disclosed the marijuana to authorities, he\u200b was sentenced to\u2064 14 years\u2064 in\u2063 a penal colony for drug trafficking \u2064in June 2022, amidst strained U.S.-Russia relations.<\/p>\n<p>While others, like WNBA player Brittney Griner, were successfully negotiated for release, \u2064Fogel&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-starts-evacuating-american-citizens-from-sudan\/\" title=\"U.S. Starts Evacuating American Citizens From Sudan\">situation remains dire<\/a>.\u2063 He has \u2062now been imprisoned for over three years, and several Pennsylvania lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to include him in future negotiations for prisoner swaps. They emphasize his \u2062health issues and\u2064 the unjust nature of his imprisonment. The article reflects on the contrasting \u2063treatment of American citizens in similar legal situations in Russia and highlights\u2063 the ongoing challenges in U.S.-Russia relations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">American teacher Marc Fogel not included in prisoner swap with Russia<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1720994\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>While the United States welcomes the return of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wall-street-journal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> <\/a>reporter Evan Gershkovich and three others imprisoned in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Russia<\/a>, Marc Fogel, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aclu-targets-loudoun-county-teachers-speech-wants-them-forced-to-use-gender-affirming-pronouns\/\" title=\"ACLU Targets Loudoun County Teachers\u2019 Speech, Wants Them Forced To Use \u2018Gender-Affirming\u2019 Pronouns\">high school history teacher<\/a>, remains <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/prison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>behind bars<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A Pennsylvania native, Fogel and his wife had been living in Russia since 2012. <\/p>\n<p>Fogel taught at a charter school in which his students&rsquo; parents were diplomats. During a return home in 2021, the couple decided to spend just one more year in Russia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The 65-year-old was arrested in August 2021 when Russian authorities found him with about half an ounce of medical&nbsp;marijuana prescribed to him for chronic pain in the United States. Marijuana is illegal in Russia, but Fogel did not lie that he was transporting&nbsp;it into the country. He asked for leniency in his trial but was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony for drug trafficking in June 2022 &mdash; at the height of the war in Ukraine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>U.S.-Russia relations have been incredibly strained, which likely contributed to Fogel&rsquo;s harsh sentencing. However, the U.S. was able to negotiate a prisoner swap for WNBA player Brittney Griner, who, like Fogel, was arrested for having marijuana in her luggage in February 2022. She was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison. However, Griner was only in prison for 10 months when the U.S. conducted a prisoner swap with Russia for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer, in December 2022.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At that point in time, Fogel had been in prison for 16 months.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA) all made a plea to the Biden administration for Fogel to be included in the prisoner swap.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Marc is a Pennsylvania teacher with severe health issues who has been unjustly imprisoned in a Russian prison for three years, and as the congressional members who represent Marc and his family, we have been pushing to bring Marc home as quickly as possible,&rdquo; the lawmakers wrote. &ldquo;As negotiations are ongoing with the Russian Federation, we respectfully request that any potential prisoner swap include Marc Fogel.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, State Department officials said they were unable to make it happen.<\/p>\n<p>Fogel&rsquo;s 95-year-old mother, Malphine Fogel, filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June for failing to designate&nbsp;her son as &ldquo;wrongfully detained.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[Griner] was in jail for 10 months before President Biden got her out,&rdquo; Malphine Fogel <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/07\/18\/us-news\/marc-fogels-mom-said-trump-vowed-to-bring-him-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> the <em>New York Post<\/em>. &ldquo;My son has been in for three years, and I haven&rsquo;t heard from the president or anyone in Washington.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>She spoke with former President Donald Trump, who allegedly promised he would get her son out of prison, prior to him taking the stage at the Butler rally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The prisoner swap is considered the largest one in post-Soviet history, involving a total of seven countries.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1720994\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1720994\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>American educator Marc Fogel was not part of the recent prisoner exchange with Russia. Although the U.S. celebrated the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and three other detainees, Fogel, a high school history teacher, continues to be incarcerated. Originally from Pennsylvania, Fogel and his wife had resided in Russia since 2012, where he taught at a charter school attended by children of diplomats. During a trip back to the U.S. in 2021, they opted to spend one more year in Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Fogel was arrested in August 2021 after Russian authorities discovered he possessed approximately half an ounce of medical marijuana that had been prescribed to him for chronic pain while living in the U.S. Despite marijuana being illegal in Russia, Fogel did not conceal his possession when entering the country. He sought leniency during his trial but received a 14-year sentence for drug trafficking in June 2022 amid heightened tensions due to the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>The strained relations between the U.S. and Russia likely influenced his severe punishment. In contrast, WNBA player Brittney Griner\u2014who faced similar charges for having marijuana when she was detained\u2014was released after only ten months through a prisoner swap involving arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022; by then, Fogel had already spent 16 months behind bars.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman along with Representatives Guy Reschenthaler, Mike Kelly, and Chris Deluzio urged President Biden&#8217;s administration to include Fogel in any potential prisoner negotiations: \u201cMarc is a Pennsylvania teacher with severe health issues who has been unjustly imprisoned&#8230; We have been pushing to bring Marc home as quickly as possible,\u201d they stated.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their efforts, State Department officials indicated that including him was not feasible at this time. Additionally, Malphine Fogel\u2014the teacher\u2019s elderly mother\u2014filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Antony Blinken for not designating her son as &#8220;wrongfully detained.&#8221; She expressed frustration over her son&#8217;s prolonged imprisonment compared to Griner&#8217;s case: \u201cMy son has been in for three years&#8230; I haven\u2019t heard from anyone.\u201d She also mentioned speaking with former President Donald Trump before one of his rallies about her son&#8217;s situation.<\/p>\n<p>This recent prisoner exchange is noted as one of the largest since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and involved multiple countries<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2542,"featured_media":2317653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Marc-Fogel-1.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[36917,36916,36886,4280,32076],"class_list":["post-2317652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-american-teacher","tag-marc-fogel","tag-prisoner-swap","tag-russia","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Marc-Fogel-1.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2317653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}