Another American caught with weed in Russia has been sentenced to 14 years in prison

A US citizen, teacher and lecturer has been beaten to 14 years in prison for finding some weed in his luggage at an airport in Moscow, Russia. It’s the latest in a series of harsh penalties imposed on Americans in the country, including WNBA star Brittney Griner.

On August 14, 2021, Marc Hilliard Fogel, then 60, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport when half an ounce of weed (about 14 grams) in various forms was discovered in his luggage. Fogel was approved by a doctor in the United States for medical cannabis for chronic pain after a series of major surgeries.

The Fogels had taught abroad for years, including in Russia, but they were used to less security at that airport from previous flights. Something went horribly wrong and Fogel told his wife that he had packed 14 vape carts and put a flower in a contact lens case. He figured he could get away with putting something in his luggage for his trip back to Russia after traveling in the US. The Fogels were on their way back to Moscow to celebrate Marc’s 10th year teaching US diplomats’ children.

Russian police spotted the weed and he knew right away that the country doesn’t play games when it comes to cannabis, especially when it comes to a US citizen. But Fogel figured he’d face deportation or some other form of punishment — not a hard time.

Fogel has already spent 11 months in various Russian prisons for his “crime”. But hearing the judge say “14 years” was a devastating moment for Fogel and his family, reports the Washington Post.

“I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that Marc is being left behind,” Jane Fogel told the Washington Post. “It’s scary. I hope that President Biden, and especially First Lady Jill Biden, who is an educator, will recognize the importance of including Marc in addition to Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.”

They can’t help but make the connections to WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, who is currently incarcerated for her “crime” of a pair of vape pens. Ever since Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was a “substantive proposal” to release both Griner and another wrongly imprisoned American, Paul Whelan, Fogel’s family has hoped he might not face 14 years in prison.

Fogel was fed things like bowls of porridge and dried apricots, depending on which Russian prison he was in.

“He says whatever he wants in English, someone translates for him, one of his cellmates, and depending on how good their English is, we get an accurate picture of what’s happening,” Anne Fogel said. “It’s very complicated and incredibly worrying because we can’t really have an honest conversation. Everything is censored. It’s upsetting.”

But for Marc, he wasn’t happy to hear that Griner could be released before him. “It hurt,” wrote Marc Fogel in a letter. “Teachers are at least as important as players.”

reality in Russia

President Vladimir Putin has toughened penalties for citizens and tourists alike, including a certain new law that provides penalties of up to 15 years in prison for those who spread “fake news” about the Russian military. Russia has been accused by the Center for Eastern Studies of using prison sentences as a “tool to exercise control over society”.

I applaud the efforts of @SecBlinken & @StateDept to bring Britney Griner and Paul Whelan home, even if it means extraditing Viktor Bout. I support the exchange. I just hope they include Marc Fogel in the deal. Bout is a real criminal. He is worth rescuing 3 innocent Americans.

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) July 27, 2022

The Fogels are now calling on President Joe Biden to intervene and get him out of Russian prison just as efforts are being made to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, CNN reports.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, US-Russian relations have obviously been strained, to say the least. It is typical of Russia to rebrand ordinary US citizens and athletes as drug needles, often with ostensibly political motives.

Almost 5,000 people have already signed a Change.org petition to free Marc Fogel from unlawful detention in Russia.