Rep. Summer Lee Speaks with Marc Fogel’s Family, Joins Senator Casey and Pennsylvania Delegation in Urging Secretary Blinken to Bring Him Home on Third Anniversary of his Wrongful Detention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Vaibhav Vijay (Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov)
Kyla Gill (Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov)

Rep. Summer Lee Speaks with Marc Fogel’s Family, Joins Senator Casey and Pennsylvania Delegation in Urging Secretary Blinken to Bring Him Home on Third Anniversary of his Wrongful Detention

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA) joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and members of the Pennsylvania delegation in sending a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the State Department to take immediate and decisive action to secure the release of Marc Fogel, a U.S. citizen, international educator, and native of southwestern Pennsylvania. Mr. Fogel has been wrongfully detained in Russia since August 2021. Today, she spoke with Marc’s family and reassured them that she will work tirelessly to secure his release.

In their letter, the Pennsylvania lawmakers expressed grave concern over Mr. Fogel’s continued detention in a Russian penal colony, where he is serving a 14-year sentence for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana prescribed by his doctor. Despite repeated appeals, Russian courts have upheld Mr. Fogel’s harsh sentence, which is substantially disproportionate to the charges against him and likely influenced by his status as a U.S. citizen.

“We write with the gravest concerns regarding the continued detention of Mr. Marc Fogel, and we ask that you do everything in your power to bring Mr. Fogel home,” the letter states. “It has become clear that Mr. Fogel is being used as a bargaining chip by the Russian government. We urge you to designate Mr. Fogel as ‘wrongfully detained,’ a step that would emphasize the political nature of his detention and prioritize his case within the U.S. government.”

The lawmakers also expressed deep concern about Mr. Fogel’s deteriorating health. Mr. Fogel has chronic pain due to multiple surgeries, including a spinal fusion, hip replacement, and several knee surgeries. His condition has worsened significantly during his time in Russian detention, where he has been denied access to medical marijuana and other necessary treatments. The letter calls on Secretary Blinken to intensify efforts to ensure Mr. Fogel receives the medical care and consular services he desperately needs.

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You can find the full letter here: 

“Marc Fogel deserves to be home and reunited with his family/ [OR]/ needs to be brought home now,” said Rep. Lee (PA-12). “He is in urgent need of specialized medical attention, and we cannot allow him to continue languishing in a Russian prison a second longer. The U.S. government must be doing everything in its power to ensure Marc receives the medical treatment and support he needs while working tirelessly to end this unjust detention. His case is just as important as any other, and we must prioritize it as such.”

The letter further urges Secretary Blinken to resubmit monthly requests for consular visits to check on Mr. Fogel’s condition and to arrange for a doctor to accompany these visits. The lawmakers emphasized the importance of ensuring that Mr. Fogel’s case receives the same level of attention and resources as other high-profile cases, such as that of Brittney Griner, who was successfully brought home after being designated as wrongfully detained.

The Pennsylvania delegation has requested a response from Secretary Blinken by September 1, 2024, to ensure that all possible efforts are being made to bring Mr. Fogel home safely.

Background

Past Actions by Rep. Lee to secure Marc Fogel’s Release:

• Resolution calling for Marc Fogel’s immediate release 
• Tweet following safe return of wrongful detainees in Russia.

Background on Marc Fogel:

• Marc Fogel is a 63 year old from Butler County. Prior to his detention, he worked as an American history teacher in Oakmont. He has a wife and two sons, and sisters.

• On August 14, 2021, Marc was detained at the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow for possession of a small amount of medically prescribed marijuana. 

• On June 17, 2022, Marc Fogel was convicted in a Russian court on drug charges and given a 14-year hard-labor sentence. 

• Marc’s health has severely declined due to chronic pain and lack of adequate medical care. He has undergone multiple surgeries in the past and now suffers from conditions that require ongoing treatment, which he is not receiving in prison.

• The U.S. State Department has requested regular consular visits every three months, but Russia denied the most recent request in June. There is a call for monthly visits and for bringing a doctor to assess Fogel’s condition.

• Marc’s exclusion from the recent prisoner swap, which saw the release of eight Russian dissidents, has been widely panned by stakeholders who argue Marc is not receiving the same attention and advocacy as other high profile detainees, such as Brittney Griner, Evan Gershkovich, or Paul Whelan. 

• Last week’s release was now the third high-profile prisoner swap he has been left out of since his arrest in August 2021. 

• There is an ongoing request for Marc Fogel to be designated as “wrongfully detained” which would provide more resources and coordination to support his return.

• Until last week, the Administration had never publicly acknowledged Marc’s detention was wrongful and has, for almost three years, declined to formally designate him “wrongfully detained”—for reasons that remain unknown to Marc, his family, and his legal representatives.

• The Administration (e.g., Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan) has finally begun to publicly acknowledge Marc’s wrongful detention, but these statements have not yet led to a formal designation.

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Since taking office in January 2023, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $1.85 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 2,300 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports