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Join Telegram ChannelOakmont, Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel will not be released: Senior officials
Updated: 11:58 AM EDT Aug 1, 2024
On Thursday, Pennsylvania lawmakers pushed for Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel’s release during a Russian prisoner exchange. Despite the push, Fogel will not be released in the current swap.A senior administration official said they couldn’t divulge why Fogel wouldn’t be released to preserve negotiations, according to ABC.That official also told ABC News, they “absolutely wanted” to include Fogel but “it just wasn’t gonna happen.” There are ongoing conversations however about securing his release, the official said. Earlier in the day, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman and U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly, Chris Deluzio and Guy Reschenthaler released the following statement:“As news of a potential prisoner exchange is being reported, we urge that any swap include Pennsylvania’s Marc Fogel, along with Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich,” the lawmakers said. “Marc is a Pennsylvania teacher with severe health issues who has been unjustly imprisoned in a Russian prison for three years, and as the congressional members who represent Marc and his family, we have been pushing to bring Marc home as quickly as possible. As negotiations are ongoing with the Russian Federation, we respectfully request that any potential prisoner swap include Marc Fogel.”Fogel is currently detained in a Russian prison after his arrest in 2021.He was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony in 2022 for drug trafficking after he was arrested for possessing medical marijuana, which was prescribed by a doctor in the United States.Fogel’s mother, Malphine Fogel, has been fighting to bring her son home since his arrest. In June, a bipartisan resolution was passed by the Senate calling for his release.At the time, Malphine Fogel told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, “He has missed so much with his family. His youngest son graduated from college. Of course, you didn’t see that. The birthdays and wedding anniversary and, you know, it’s just really, really hard.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken has previously said that when it comes to Gershkovich, Whelan and other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia and elsewhere, the U.S. is working on the cases “quite literally every day.”Malphine Fogel filed a lawsuit against Blinken at the end of June, saying the secretary of state had failed to designate her son as “wrongfully detained.” Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox.
On Thursday, Pennsylvania lawmakers pushed for Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel’s release during a Russian prisoner exchange. Despite the push, Fogel will not be released in the current swap.
A senior administration official said they couldn’t divulge why Fogel wouldn’t be released to preserve negotiations, according to ABC.
That official also told ABC News, they “absolutely wanted” to include Fogel but “it just wasn’t gonna happen.”
There are ongoing conversations however about securing his release, the official said.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman and U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly, Chris Deluzio and Guy Reschenthaler released the following statement:
“As news of a potential prisoner exchange is being reported, we urge that any swap include Pennsylvania’s Marc Fogel, along with Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich,” the lawmakers said. “Marc is a Pennsylvania teacher with severe health issues who has been unjustly imprisoned in a Russian prison for three years, and as the congressional members who represent Marc and his family, we have been pushing to bring Marc home as quickly as possible. As negotiations are ongoing with the Russian Federation, we respectfully request that any potential prisoner swap include Marc Fogel.”
Fogel is currently detained in a Russian prison after his arrest in 2021.
He was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony in 2022 for drug trafficking after he was arrested for possessing medical marijuana, which was prescribed by a doctor in the United States.
Fogel’s mother, Malphine Fogel, has been fighting to bring her son home since his arrest. In June, a bipartisan resolution was passed by the Senate calling for his release.
At the time, Malphine Fogel told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, “He has missed so much with his family. His youngest son graduated from college. Of course, you didn’t see that. The birthdays and wedding anniversary and, you know, it’s just really, really hard.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has previously said that when it comes to Gershkovich, Whelan and other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia and elsewhere, the U.S. is working on the cases “quite literally every day.”
Malphine Fogel filed a lawsuit against Blinken at the end of June, saying the secretary of state had failed to designate her son as “wrongfully detained.”
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox.
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