Marc Fogel, a 62-year-old former teacher at Oakmont, is approaching his third year of imprisonment in Russia after being arrested for possessing marijuana upon returning to Moscow for his tenth and final teaching year. His mother, 95-year-old Malphine Fogel, spoke to reporters on Thursday expressing frustration with the Biden administration's handling of his case, particularly in comparison to the treatment received by Brittany Griner.
Griner, also arrested for possession of marijuana, was swiftly declared wrongfully detained by the US government and returned home a few months later in a prisoner exchange. Mrs. Fogel has filed a lawsuit against US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, seeking a declaration that Marc Fogel is illegally detained. She asserts that without this declaration, no further progress can be made in his case. The lawsuit also argues that Marc and his family have been treated unequally compared to Griner and other US citizens.