Why was Marc Fogel detained? Pennsylvania teacher wrongfully held in Russia for 3 years returns home

Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who once served as a U.S. diplomat, has finally made it back home after being detained in Russia for nearly three years. His arrest in August 2021 and subsequent 14-year sentence for carrying a medical marijuana case will forever be received in a wave of worldwide criticism and comparisons to other high-profile American detainees.

On August 14, 2021, Marc Fogel, then a teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Russian authorities found 17 grams of medical marijuana in his luggage, which he claimed was legally prescribed in the U.S. for chronic pain following multiple back surgeries.

Fogel had spent nearly a decade teaching in Russia before his arrest. A former U.S. diplomat, he served at international schools in multiple countries.

Initially, the Russian officers charged Fogel with drug smuggling and possession with intent to distribute, despite his insistence that the marijuana was for personal medical use. The case went to trial in a Moscow court, and he was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony in June of 2022.

The sentence drew outrage as Marc Fogel's case bore a resemblance to that of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who had been detained in February 2022 on similar charges and was released in December 2022 in a prisoner swap.

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Efforts to release Marc Fogel

Despite the public's insistence and the repeating appeals from family members and U.S. lawmakers, initially, the U.S. State Department did not class Fogel as 'wrongfully detained.'

In June 2024, Malphine Fogel, 95, took legal action against Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the U.S. Department of State, alleging that her son had been denied essential government aid. She argued that the State Department’s failure to classify Marc Fogel as 'wrongfully detained' significantly hindered efforts to secure his release.

Her legal team contended that if Fogel had received the "wrongfully detained" designation—similar to Brittney Griner and other Americans held abroad—he would have been eligible for protections under the Levinson Act. This law provides enhanced support for U.S. citizens who are either taken hostage or unlawfully imprisoned in foreign countries.

It wasn't until 2023 that the State Department formally recognized him to that status, thereby increasing efforts to negotiate his release.

Lawmakers, including senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman (D-PA), urged the Biden administration to include Fogel in diplomatic negotiations, particularly in prisoner exchanges with Russia.

Fogel was released on February 9, 2025, almost three years following his detention in Russia. The circumstances surrounding that release remain unclear, although his family has confirmed he is safely back in the United States.

The family of Marc Fogel, including his 95-year-old mother, thanked the U.S. government, lawmakers, and supporters who advocated for Fogel's freedom.