Who is Marc Fogel? What we know about the American released by Russians.
WASHINGTON (KDKA) — Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2021, is expected to be back on American soil Tuesday night after the White House announced it negotiated his release.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, national security advisor Mike Waltz said Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, is leaving Russian airspace with Fogel, a western Pennsylvania native who had been serving a 14-year sentence after he was caught with a small amount of medical cannabis at a Russian airport.
"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," Waltz said in a statement.
Who is Marc Fogel?
Fogel was detained in Moscow in August 2021 when he and his wife flew back to Russia for their 10th and final year of teaching in the country. His family said he was carrying 17 grams of cannabis for medical reasons to treat chronic back pain.
He was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison and following his sentence, he was transferred to a hard labor colony.
Fogel and his wife lived in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and Fogel grew up in Butler County, Pennsylvania. His family said he was known for his passion for teaching children around the world, including Russia. His niece described her uncle as having a zest for life and a contagious optimism.
Fogel's mother, 95-year-old Malphine Fogel, has continued to advocate for her son's release.
"I might be on borrowed time," Malphine Fogel told KDKA-TV last July. "I don't know how much time I have. I want to come home while I still know him."
Fighting to free Fogel
Since Fogel's detainment, his family, citizens and lawmakers have been fighting to bring him back. His family and lawmakers expressed concern for his health, saying it had deteriorated in the penal colony.
In late 2022, the U.S. and Russia executed a prisoner swap that included WNBA player Brittney Griner, but not Fogel. At the time, his family called him a "political pawn" after he remained in Russia.
As the fight continued, last summer, the U.S. and Russia announced another prisoner swap that brought home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. Fogel again wasn't included.
Last year, Fogel was declared "wrongfully detained," a step forward that his family said gave them "more hope" than they had ever had.
After Mr. Trump took office, lawmakers continued to push for Fogel's release, most recently sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month, asking that he use "all of the tools at his disposal."
The release of Fogel is now being applauded by lawmakers who have fought to bring him home.