US State Department designates American teacher arrested in Russia as ‘wrongfully detained’ News
United States Department of State, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
US State Department designates American teacher arrested in Russia as ‘wrongfully detained’

Attorneys representing the family of Marc Fogel, a teacher currently detained in Russia for drug charges, stated on Friday that the US Department of State has designated Fogel as “wrongfully detained.”

Fogel’s attorney revealed that the Department of State made the designation in October. Russian authorities arrested Marc Fogel in August 2021 for drug trafficking. Fogel was in possession of medical marijuana, which he used for chronic pain.

This formal designation is promising for Fogel and his family. Wrongfully detained citizens are afforded heightened priorities by the US government.

The US government may provide continued consular assistance to the families of wrongfully detained persons. The status of the wrongfully detained person will be regularly monitored and reported. Additional government efforts include media and international pressure. The government may work with the wrongfully detained’s family to understand and guide media strategy, and may also work with international organizations to garner support for a wrongfully detained person’s release.

However, the US Government is subject to boundaries in its efforts to support the wrongfully detained. For example, government officials may not represent a wrongfully detained person in overseas courts or serve as a translator. The government also may not pay for a wrongfully detained person’s medical or legal expenses.

Fogel’s designation as a wrongfully detained person comes on the heels of a bipartisan resolution calling for his release. The resolution was passed by the Senate in May. It asserts that the Russian government lacks evidence for Fogel’s conviction. A formal designation of wrongful detention will aid Fogel’s family in their fight for his release.

 

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