The Trump administration has successfully negotiated the release of American teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian penal colony.
Fogel, 63, was given a 14-year prison sentence for possessing medical marijuana in 2021. An employee of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, Fogel spent 27 years teaching overseas, and was planning to retire the year he was arrested. An American doctor prescribed the marijuana after Fogel had surgeries on his back, shoulder, and knee.
Fogel’s release was negotiated by Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Fogel was flown out of Russia on Witkoff’s private jet, The New York Times reported. It is unclear what the United States offered Russia to secure Fogel’s release.
The Fogel family was first alerted to his release on Thursday when they were informed Fogel was moved from the Rybinsk penal colony to SIZO in the Yaroslavl region.
“President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the president’s advisers negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said in a statement.
Fogel’s family fought relentlessly for his release over the past four years. His 95-year-old mother, Malphine, met with Trump at his July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he told her he would do everything he could to free her son if elected.
“When I met President Trump, he told me to take his arm because he could see I struggle with walking after I broke my kneecap,” Malphine told The Daily Wire. “He was very cordial and interested in my son’s situation. I just kept telling him he needs to remember Marc’s name.”
Malphine was scheduled to appear on stage with Trump until a would-be assassin fired at Trump. Fogel was standing about 25 feet away from Trump when the shots rang out.
Malphine said Trump repeated Marc’s name and promised to get him out three times.
Fogel had strong allies in his corner, including Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), who advocated for Fogel’s release. During Rubio’s confirmation hearing, McCormick asked about Fogel.
“This is a case that has to be elevated and hopefully one that can be done through strong private diplomacy at a minimum as a goodwill gesture because if they are not willing to do this… then I think the chances of improvement in U.S.-Russia relations are impossible” Rubio said.
He added that he has met with Fogel’s family in the past and believes Marc was arrested because of an order in Russia to arrest Americans for anything they can be charged with in order to exchange them in the future.
Marco Rubio just said that improving U.S.-Russia relations will be impossible unless Russian authorities release Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher who has been imprisoned in Russia for over three years.
I’ve been covering Fogel’s case for months. It is a sad one. pic.twitter.com/szP45AtmyD
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 15, 2025
According to Free Marc Fogel spokesperson Vicki Iseman, the majority of cases like Fogel’s in Russia are thrown out before making it to trial.
