Americans Still Detained in Russian Jails

Marc Fogel: American Teacher Sentenced to 14 Years in Russian Penal Colony

American schoolteacher Marc Hilliard Fogel was arrested in August 2021 by Russian authorities for trying to enter the country with medical marijuana. Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since 2021, was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony.

Fogel, who worked as a teacher in the Anglo-American School of Moscow, insisted the marijuana was for medical purposes and that it was prescribed by a doctor. However, Russian authorities have denied his claims and have said that he was trying to smuggle drugs into the country.

Fogel's wife, Jane, has been campaigning for his release since his arrest. She has said that her husband is innocent and that he is being held as a political prisoner.

One American not released in the recent prisoner swap with Russia is Fogel, who is serving a 14-year sentence in a Russian penal colony. Fogel and his wife Jane taught at the Anglo-American School in Moscow before being detained in 2021. Fogel says the marijuana was prescribed for chronic pain, while Russian authorities claim he was trying to smuggle drugs.

In the summer of 2021, Fogel told his wife he had been prescribed medical marijuana for chronic pain. He was arrested at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow with about 17 grams of marijuana in his luggage. Medical marijuana is illegal in Russia, and Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Fogel's family and supporters have said that he is innocent and that the charges against him are politically motivated. They have also said that he is not receiving adequate medical care in prison.

The United States government has called for Fogel's release, but Russia has refused. Fogel's case is just one of several cases of Americans who have been detained in Russia in recent years. The Biden administration has said that it is committed to securing the release of all Americans who are wrongfully detained abroad.