American Teacher Detained in Russia Since 2021 Released, Returns to US
An American history teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021 was released and returned to the US on Tuesday.
Marc Fogel, who taught at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, had been serving a 14-year sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport. He was detained for possessing drugs, which his family said was medically prescribed marijuana, according to Fox News.
Following his arrival in the US, the White House shared a photo of Fogel on social media, showing him smiling, raising his fist, and wrapped in an American flag as he stepped off the plane. “MARC FOGEL IS BACK!!! PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!!” the White House posted on X.
Fogel arrived in Pennsylvania before meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. He praised Trump for securing his release, calling him a “hero.”
“I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero,” Fogel said. “These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes.”
Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor, confirmed that the US and Russia “negotiated an exchange” for Fogel’s release but did not disclose what the US had agreed to in return. When reporters asked Trump whether anything was given up for Fogel’s release, he responded, “Not much,” without elaborating.
Fogel’s family expressed their gratitude in a statement, saying, “We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home.”
“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs. This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” the statement continued.
