Fogel, A Schoolteacher, Has Montana Ties
U.S. Senator Steve Daines today commended the U.S. State Department for finally heeding his calls to designate U.S. citizen Marc Fogel as “wrongfully detained” by the Russian government and renewed his demand for Fogel to be immediately released. Fogel has family in Montana and is currently serving a 12-year sentence of hard labor in a Russian prison for possession of marijuana.
“Marc Fogel just spent his fourth Christmas serving an unjust 14-year sentence of hard labor in a Russian prison because he was ‘convicted’ of outrageous drug trafficking charges,” said Daines. “The State Department finally acknowledged what we have always known: that Marc’s arrest was politically motivated and President Biden should have immediately designated him as wrongfully detained in 2021. He should be released immediately.”
Background:
Daines will serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 119th Congress, which will be sworn in Friday.
The designation of “wrongfully detained” means Fogel’s case will now be transferred to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department.
Senator Daines introduced a bipartisan resolution demanding Russia release Fogel.
Daines also called for Fogel’s release on the Senate floor in July 2023.
Click HERE to view the letter Daines and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Mike McFaul sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on the State Department to deem Marc Fogel wrongfully detained.