The U.S. government has officially declared that Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, is wrongfully detained.

Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, received a 14-year sentence following his August 2021 arrest at a Russian airport for possessing what his family maintains were medically prescribed cannabis.

He was excluded from a major prisoner exchange in August that secured the release of several other Americans, including Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan.

Following this exchange, which also freed twelve German citizens, Fogel’s legal team urged the Biden administration to intervene and secure his release, including by formally designating his detention as wrongful.

The State Department considers several factors in making such a designation, such as evidence of innocence and whether the detention aims to influence U.S. policy or extract concessions.

“The United States has actively pursued Marc Fogel’s release,” the State Department stated. “We advocated for his humanitarian release, attempting his inclusion in the August 1st agreement, but were unsuccessful. The Secretary determined in October that Marc is wrongfully detained.”

This designation typically transfers case oversight to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, a State Department office focused on securing the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad.

Fogel’s wife, Jane, and sons, Ethan and Sam, expressed gratitude for the State Department’s acknowledgement of their husband and father’s wrongful detention, stating, “Now that we have the full support of the U.S. government, we will work tirelessly to bring Marc home safely and swiftly.”