WASHINGTON (TNS) — Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation recently delivered a message to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken: Any prisoner exchange with Russia must include Marc Fogel, the high school teacher from Oakmont.
Fogel is serving a 14-year term for possession of marijuana, used to treat a back injury. The charges are similar to those leveled against WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was detained for 10 months in Russia before being released in a prisoner swap a year ago this month.
U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, both D-Pa., joined by U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall; Mike Kelly, R-Butler; Summer Lee, D-Swissvale; Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, and Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, urged Blinken in a letter to include Fogel in any prisoner swap with Russia.
“During this holiday season, we join our constituents urging the Biden Administration to redouble its efforts to secure Fogel’s release from Russian custody so that Fogel may return home to his wife, 94-year-old mother, and the rest of his family,” the lawmakers wrote. “Therefore, we respectfully request that Fogel be included in any discussion involving other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia.”
The bicameral, bipartisan letter also was signed by eight other Pennsylvania U.S. House members of both parties.
The State Department declined comment on the letter but said the U.S. government “continues to call on the Russian government to release Marc Fogel on humanitarian grounds” and urges “the Russian government to ensure fair treatment and appropriate medical care for all U.S. citizens detained in Russia.”
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to agree to discuss a prisoner swap involving two Americans held by his country, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate-security executive Paul Whelan.
“It is not that we have refused to return them,” Putin said at a press conference. “We want to reach an agreement, and these agreements must be mutually acceptable and must suit both sides. We have contacts with our American partners in this regard, and there is an ongoing dialogue.”
Fogel has been held inside Russia since August 2021. He has lived in Russia for a decade teaching history at a school attended by the children of U.S. diplomats.
“Since Marc Fogel’s arrest, numerous members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle have urged the State Department to take further action, including classifying Fogel as wrongfully detained,” the lawmakers wrote to Blinken. “Unfortunately, this designation process has stalled while Fogel’s health has deteriorated.”
His incarceration has become a cause celebre among Western Pennsylvania’s lawmakers.
In June, the House voted, 422-0, to call for the release of Fogel, Gershkovich and others held in Russia.
That same month, Reschenthaler introduced legislation named for Fogel that asks State Department officials to tell Congress why they haven’t designated him and some other prisoners as wrongfully detained — a step that would raise their profile and make their release a higher priority. The bill was co-sponsored by Deluzio, Kelly and Thompson.
Reschenthaler and Kelly have said Fogel meets six of the 11 criteria established by earlier legislation to determine whether someone should be considered wrongfully detained.
