American teacher Marc Fogel, arrested in Russia for allegedly carrying medically prescribed marijuana in 2021, has been freed and returned to the United States.
Fogel had been serving a 14-year sentence for drug smuggling – a charge the US State Department called “unjust”. He received a warm welcome from President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday night.
“I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now,” said Fogel, cloaked in a US flag. He thanked Trump and other US officials who helped negotiate his release, calling them “heroes”. He also credited Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in the process.
Who is Marc Fogel?
Marc Fogel, a 63-year-old teacher from Pennsylvania, spent much of his career teaching at international schools around the world, including in Colombia, Malaysia, Oman, Mexico and Venezuela.
A former student of Fogel’s at the International School of Kuala Lumpur, who requested anonymity, recalled how Fogel would ride a moped to school, where he ran the model UN, an extracurricular activity during which students roleplay delegates. His students were expected to take off their shoes before entering his class, they told Al Jazeera.
Since 2012, he and his wife had lived in Moscow, where Fogel taught history at the Anglo-American School, which caters to US citizens and the children of diplomats. He had diplomatic immunity as a teacher at the school, which is backed by the US, British and Canadian embassies, until 2020, when Russia revoked the teachers’ diplomatic status, claiming the US was misusing the privilege.
Prior to his arrest in August 2021, he had planned to teach one final year in Moscow before retiring.
Why was he arrested?
Fogel was detained in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after flying in from New York with less than an ounce (28.35gm) of cannabis, which his family said was medically prescribed for his chronic back pain.
Russia, which has stringent drug laws, accused him of keeping the cannabis “carefully disguised” in his luggage.
A Moscow court later convicted Fogel of “large-scale drug smuggling” and handed him a 14-year hard labour sentence. He was sent to Rybinsk penal colony four hours away from Moscow to serve his time. Penal colonies are notorious for harsh living conditions and brutality.
The US State Department classified Fogel as “wrongfully detained”.
How and when was he released?
Fogel was handed over to Trump’s visiting Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow on Tuesday. Fogel’s Russian lawyer, Dmitry Ovsyannikov, told Russia’s TASS news agency it was unclear on what grounds the American had been released or whether he had been issued a formal pardon.
Fogel arrived at a military facility in Maryland, Joint Base Andrews, late on Tuesday night before heading to the White House for a news conference with Trump.
While addressing the media, Trump did not disclose details about the negotiations to secure Fogel’s release but described the exchange as “very fair, very reasonable” and stated that the US did not have to offer much in return. On Wednesday morning, the Kremlin announced an unnamed Russian had been freed from a US prison and would soon return home as part of the deal.
Fogel was arrested months before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, after which ties between Washington and Moscow deteriorated to a historic low.
Are there other Americans currently imprisoned in Russia?
Yes, at least 10 US citizens remain in Russian custody, including current and ex-military personnel.
Among them are Army staff sergeant Gordon Black, Marine veteran Robert Gillman and ballet dancer Ksenia Khavana. Khavana, a dual US-Russian national, was convicted of treason after making a $51 donation to a US charity that helps Ukrainian children.
The State Department says Trump is committed to bringing all the detainees home.
What has Trump said about Fogel’s case?
Trump thanked Putin for helping free Fogel and said it could play a “big, important part” in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end.
“We were treated very nicely by Russia,” said Trump, standing alongside Fogel in the White House. “Actually, I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”
Trump also said another American held abroad will be released on Wednesday. He did not specify.
Why might Russia have released Fogel now?
The details surrounding Fogel’s release are hazy, but it comes as Trump seeks to bolster ties with Russia and mediate an end to the Ukraine war.
During his presidential campaign, Trump had pledged to end the Ukraine war. In an interview on Monday, he said “Ukraine may be Russian someday”, as his administration works to end Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II.
While Trump declined to say if he had brought up Fogel’s release directly with Putin, he confirmed on Saturday that he had spoken with Putin about the three-year war in Ukraine. Both the leaders have said they are eager to meet to discuss how to bring a swift end to the war, but no date for any summit has been announced.
Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz called Fogel’s release a gesture of goodwill from Russia that shows “we are moving in the right direction” towards ending the Ukraine war.
The release also follows an extensive prisoner swap between Russia and the West back in August 2024 that freed three high-profile US citizens, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and US marine Paul Whelan.
What have been the reactions?
The news of Fogel’s release was met with praise and relief from his family and lawyers, as well as lawmakers from his home state of Pennsylvania.
“We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed,” said a joint statement from the Fogel family, who had been critical of former President Joe Biden’s administration’s handling of the case. “This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.”
Fogel’s defence lawyers, Martin De Luca and Andrew Smith, called his release “historic” and praised Trump’s “strong leadership … wasting no time in taking decisive action to bring [him] home.”
US Congressman Mike Kelly, who represents Butler County in Pennsylvania, where Fogel’s mother lives, expressed his joy that the family was finally reunited after years of his advocacy on their behalf. “I want to thank President Trump for successfully securing Marc’s release,” Kelly said in a statement. “Today is a great day for the Fogel family.”
Pennsylvania Senators John Fetterman, a Democrat, and Dave McCormick, a Republican, also issued statements applauding Fogel’s release.
Thank you @POTUS for bringing Marc home! All of Pennsylvania is happy he is back safely, especially his amazing 95 year old mom, Mafa, who never stopped fighting for his release. Dina and I were honored to witness this emotional and historic moment tonight at the White House. pic.twitter.com/B6LpXomzua
— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) February 12, 2025
