Editorial: A month after election, still no answers on Marc Fogel’s detention
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For three years, TribLive has periodically contacted the U.S. State Department.
We ask the same questions, sometimes tweaked to reflect national or world events.
We ask for the most recent information on Marc Fogel. The Butler native and Oakmont teacher has been held in a Russian prison since 2021, when he was arrested for possession of 17 grams of medical marijuana legally dispensed in Pennsylvania.
When was the last time the State Department had contact with Fogel or with the Russian government regarding him? What is Fogel’s physical condition? Has he been hospitalized again?
In our most recent attempt, we also asked about last week’s prisoner swap with China, in which three Americans were exchanged for Chinese detainees. Two of the Americans were designated wrongfully detained. The third, like Fogel, was not. China claims all three of its detainees were held wrongfully by the U.S.
We asked the State Department if there have been any new attempts to obtain Fogel’s release. Fogel was left behind in a multinational prisoner exchange in August that brought home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, ex-Marine Paul Whelan and Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
Fogel was also left behind two years ago when WNBA star Brittney Griner was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
We asked how the presidential election may have affected Fogel’s case. Is his release a priority for the State Department as the Biden administration winds down? Between Griner’s release and the August exchange, Fogel’s name was not uttered by officials in speeches or news conferences. It came up in the wake of the swap, and Biden snapped an answer at one reporter when pressed but still has not publicly said Fogel’s name.
President-elect Donald Trump met with Fogel’s mother, Malphine, on July 13, reportedly promising to bring her son home. He also had said he would bring Gershkovich home immediately after the election if he won, not waiting for the January inauguration. But that was right before the Butler assassination attempt in which Trump was shot, a man died and others were injured.
This time, we also reached out to the Trump transition team to ask where the commitment to Fogel stands.
The State Department replied with the standard unattributed background statement we have come to expect: They are pushing for Fogel’s release on humanitarian grounds. They want fair treatment for all U.S. citizens in Russian custody. For privacy reasons, they will say nothing further.
The Trump team has not responded. A spokesperson for the Fogels says the family has not heard anything new.
We will continue to push for answers until Fogel, who is sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony, comes home.