Marc Fogel, an Oakmont man imprisoned in a Russian penal colony, has now been officially designated as "wrongfully detained" by the U.S. Department of State, a status change that was announced on Friday by IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll and signifies increased government efforts towards his release. Fogel has been serving a 14-year sentence since his arrest three years ago for carrying medical marijuana into Russia, according to a report from WPXI.
This significant classification comes under an act known as the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-taking Accountability Act, which sets the criteria for such a designation. WPXI explains that government officials engage in intelligence monitoring and diplomatic coalition building to secure the release of individuals deemed wrongfully detained. Fogel's family, who have long advocated for his release, will now be provided with additional support, – "The additional support the status enables are critical to Marc and his family. I hope that the State Department will now focus on getting Marc back home where he belongs."
The struggle to bring Fogel back to the U.S. had previously encompassed efforts from local and federal lawmakers, detailed in a report by CBS News Pittsburgh. Thousands had signed a petition, and Pennsylvania Senators Bob Casey, John Fetterman, and U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler pressured the administration for his release, which was not secured during multiple high-profile prisoner swaps involving other detainees.
With the wrongful detention designation, the case falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), as reported by CBS News Pittsburgh. The SPEHA is tasked with a dedicated focus on negotiations for releasing detainees and hostages. Despite the change in status, there appears to be no clear timeline for when Fogel might be released. In the same report, his mother, Malphine Fogel, expressed her urgency and desire to see her son returned home: "I might be on borrowed time," she stated in July, emphasizing a personal and pressing concern for her son's welfare.
