Arr, Biden be fightin' fer fair Brittney Griner, but alas, he overlooked poor Fogel, aye!
2023-12-08
On the 8th day of December, in the year 2022, fair lass Brittney Griner was set free from the clutches of a Russian dungeon, all thanks to a swap involving the notorious scoundrel Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death."
On December 8, 2022, Brittney Griner, a WNBA basketball player, was released from a Russian prison after being held for unjust reasons for 10 months. She was exchanged for Viktor Bout, a notorious arms dealer. Griner had written a letter to President Biden while in captivity, pleading for her release and the release of other American detainees. In response, Biden designated her as "wrongfully detained" and brought her back to the United States. However, despite Biden's promise to bring home every American enduring such injustice, there are still Americans, like Marc Fogel, a local teacher from Pittsburgh, who remain detained in Russia.Fogel has been held in a Russian penal colony since August 2021 on false charges related to medical marijuana. He suffers from chronic back pain and had a prescription for the drug. Unfortunately, his case has not received the same attention and appeal from the White House as Griner's case. Pennsylvania's congressional delegation has authored legislation, the Marc Fogel Act, to urge the State Department to bring him home and ensure equal treatment for all Americans.
The State Department has failed to provide updates on Fogel's status to Congress and his family, despite their efforts to secure his release. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican from Pennsylvania, emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability in determining wrongful detainment. He also highlights the cases of other Americans held in Russia, such as former Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Reschenthaler and his colleagues are dedicated to reuniting Fogel with his family in Pennsylvania and calling on President Biden to fulfill his promise to bring all unjustly detained Americans home. The article concludes with a plea for action and a reminder of Biden's vow to do the same.