Marc Fogel, an American teacher sentenced to 14 years for possessing medical marijuana, has been freed.
Marc Fogel.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia,” said White House national security adviser Mike Waltz in a news release. “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.”
Fogel, detained since 2021, was arrested for bringing marijuana prescribed for his chronic pain into Russia.
“Marc Fogel has undergone three back surgeries, a spinal fusion, a hip replacement, and two knee surgeries to correct various injuries and health issues, which have left him with chronic back pain and a permanent limp”, states a congressional resolution filed last year to urge for his freedom. “[He] did not wish to use opioids to manage his pain and was instead prescribed medical marijuana for pain management in a manner consistent with the State law of Pennsylvania.”
The resolution states that Russia “has presented no evidence to the contrary” that Fogel planned to use the marijuana for personal medical use.
Last year the United States and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap, including former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Marc Fogel was not included in the swap despite initial rumors that he would be.
