Washington D.C. – CBS, August 15, 2024
One Pennsylvania senator is gathering the support of fellow congressional leaders to encourage U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to do everything he can to bring home a local man from a Russian prison.
Butler County native and teacher Marc Fogel is currently serving a 14-year sentence in Russia for possessing medical marijuana.
He was not part of the United States’ most recent prisoner swap with Russia.
Senator Bob Casey was joined by Senators John Fetterman, Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Susan Wild (D-PA-7), Summer Lee (D-PA-12), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14), Gleen Thompson (R-PA-15), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) in urging Blinken to bring Fogel home and designate his imprisonment as wrongfully detained.
“We write to you with the gravest of concerns regarding the continued detention of Mr. Marc Fogel, a U.S. citizen, native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and international educator, and ask that you do everything in your power to bring Marc,” the Members wrote. “Designating Marc as “wrongfully detained” will underscore the political nature of his continued detention by the Russian government and the failure of humanitarian and other efforts thus far to bring about Marc’s release. It will also demonstrate that the U.S. government considers his case to be of equal importance to similar cases. Finally, it will bring to the family resources, such as a Family Engagement team, that can consistently support and communicate with Marc’s family.”
