A prisoner swap between the U.S., Russia and other countries was agreed upon Thursday morning and IUP alumnus Marc Fogel was not among those released from the Russian prison system.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American Paul Whalen will be released by Russia as soon as today. Both were ordered to serve time in the Russian penal system after they were convicted of espionage. Meanwhile, Fogel, who graduated from IUP in 1984, continues to serve a 14-year prison sentence after airport officers found a half-ounce of medical marijuana in his luggage while attempting to return from Moscow back in August 2021. The marijuana was used to treat a severe back injury.
In a joint statement, U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman, along with representatives Guy Reschenthaler, Chris Deluzio, and Mike Kelly, are calling on the Biden Administration to include Fogel in any prisoner swap with Russia. They say Fogel was “unjustly imprisoned,” and they respectfully request that he’s included in any potential prisoner swap.
IUP is expected to release a statement soon.
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