The U.S. government has officially stated that American teachers imprisoned in Russia were wrongfully detained.

U.S. Department of State announced that an American teacher arrested at a Russian airport on drug charges more than three years ago has been arrested by the US government. determined to be unlawfully detained

Mark Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania is serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport. drug possession base which his family and supporters said was prescribed marijuana.

Fogel was released in a major prisoner exchange in August. which liberated many Americans. including Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan.

US citizen Imprisoned in Russia on a new 15-year sentence for espionage.

Lisa Hyland (left) and other family members of Mark Vogel, detained in Russia since August 2021, rally outside the White House for his release on July 15, 2023 in Washington. (AP)

Anúncios

After the prisoner exchange which also freed dozens of Germans. Lawyers for Fogel’s family have once again pushed for the Biden administration to work to preserve his freedom. Including the designation that he was wrongfully detained.

The State Department considers several factors in choosing whether to designate an American imprisoned abroad as being wrongfully detained, such as whether there is reliable information that the person is innocent. Or were they detained for the primary purpose of influencing U.S. policy? or received a concession from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Government

“The United States is doing its utmost to secure Mark’s release. Fogel for some time.” U.S. State Department stated in the statement “We have long called for his release on humanitarian grounds. and tried to include him in the August 1 deal but couldn’t. The minister ruled that Mark had been wrongfully detained in October.”

GOP REPRESENTATIVES LAUNCH BIPARTISAN’S ‘MARC FOGEL ACT’ PUSHING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT AMERICANS IMPRISONED ABROAD

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Mark Fogel was wrongfully detained in October. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Photos by Ellen Keelan and Lisa Hyland)

The designation of persons being unlawfully detained is customary. It would transfer oversight of their case to the Office of the Special Presidential Representative for Hostage Affairs. which is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and focus on negotiations for the release of the hostages and other Americans. that are classified as having been wrongfully detained abroad

Fogel’s wife, Jane, and his sons, Ethan and Sam, said in a statement that they were grateful to the State Department. “Finally acknowledging what we knew all along: that Mark Fogel, our husband and father, has and continues to make mistakes. was detained.”

Russia arrests suspect accused of murder of top general in Moscow

The exterior of the State Department building is seen on March 14, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Now that we have the full force of the U.S. government behind us, we must do everything we can to bring Mark home as quickly and safely as possible,” the family continued.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.