Why was Marc Fogel in Russia?

Marc Hilliard Fogel (born 1959) is an American schoolteacher who was arrested in August 2021 by Russian authorities for trying to enter Russia with 0.6 ounces (17 g) of medical marijuana. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Why did Mark Fogel go to Russia?

Marc Fogel is a resident of Oakmont, Pennsylvania and has served as an international educator for 35 years. He was detained in Russia in August 2021 for possession of marijuana, prescribed by a doctor for his chronic pain.

Why was Paul Whelan in Russia?

Whelan's twin brother David said Whelan arrived in Moscow on December 22 to attend the wedding of a former fellow Marine at the Hotel Metropol Moscow and to assist the groom's family members on their first visit to Russia, a country he had visited many times.

What US citizen is still being held in a Russian penal colony?

Still, the release of Brittney Griner has focused attention on two other U.S. citizens who are known to still be held in Russian penal colonies: Paul Whelan and Marc Fogel.

Were there any Americans in Russian gulags?

Among the factors that influenced the Cold War were the detention of several hundred Americans in Gulags, in addition to the obstacles in returning some 2,000 American POWs out of an estimated 75,000 who ended up in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany by 1945, as well as the reunification of Soviet wives with their ...

Who is Marc Fogel, the American detained in Russia on pot charges? | NewsNation Prime

Is Marc Fogel married?

According to his sister, Fogel and his wife, Jane, had always enjoyed living abroad, and they spent the three decades before Fogel's arrest traveling around the world, teaching in international schools and raising their two sons, Sam and Ethan.

Why was Brittney in Russia?

star and two-time Olympic gold medalist who had been detained in Russia since February on drug charges, was released from custody on Dec. 8 in a prisoner swap with the United States. She had been found guilty in August of trying to smuggle illegal narcotics into Russia and was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony.

Who was traded for Brittney Griner?

On December 8, 2022, Russia and the United States conducted a prisoner exchange, trading Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer.

Where are Russian prisons?

Who almost took over Russia?

Operation Barbarossa (1941), an unsuccessful invasion of the Soviet Union led by Nazi Germany that started the Eastern Front (World War II) of 1941–1945. Continuation War (1941–1944), an unsuccessful German-Finnish invasion of the Soviet Union, as part of World War II.

What teacher got 14 years in Russia?

A Russian court has sentenced a former US diplomat to 14 years in prison for "large-scale" cannabis smuggling. Marc Fogel had previously worked at the US embassy in Moscow, but was employed as an English teacher in the city at the time of his arrest.

What is a Russian penal colony like?

“Overcrowding, abuse by guards and inmates, limited access to health care, food shortages, and inadequate sanitation were common in prisons, penal colonies, and other detention facilities.”

How are prisoners treated in Russia?

Prisoners typically travel in overcrowded, windowless train carriages in conditions that Amnesty International said last year “often amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” As many as 12 prisoners and their baggage get crammed into a 3.5-square-meter transit cell that has only six and a half individual ...

How strict is Russian prisons?

Human rights workers have for years documented incidents of torture and sexual abuse in Russian male prisons. While that level of violence is less common in female colonies, experts say bullying by fellow prisoners as well as violence perpetrated by prison guards is frequent.

What are prisoners fed in Russian prisons?

ra receive a daily ration consisting of three pounds of biack rye-bread: about four ounces of meat, including the bone: a small quantity of barley, which is generally put into the water in which the meat is boiled for the purpose of making soup; and a little brick tea.

What was Brittney Griner salary?

Details: ESPN reports Griner, who was a free agent, signed a one-year, $165,100 contract with the Mercury on Saturday. This will be her 10th season with the Mercury, who drafted her No.

What did the Merchant of Death do?

The eventual charges — conspiring to kill Americans, to kill American officials in the performance of their duties, to support terrorists and to sell anti-aircraft missiles — carried a minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Who was the arms dealer for Griner?

The US swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December. Bout was a prominent arms dealer in the 1990s. A sting operation led to his arrest in 2008. Bout has shown his far-right political leanings on returning to Russia, declaring his support for Putin's war.

Why did Brittney Griner cut her hair?

According to ESPN's T.J. Quinn, it was Griner's decision to cut her hair. One of Griner's lawyers, Maria Blagovolina, told Quinn that Griner's hair would freeze when wet as the Russian winter got colder, so she decided to cut it to make life in prison easier.

Is hash oil illegal in Russia?

Penalties If Caught

The use, possession, sale, cultivation, and transportation of cannabis are illegal under Russian law. Penalties for these offenses can range from a monetary fine to up to 15 years in prison.

Who is the American reporter in Moscow?

Michael Bohm (Russian: Майкл Бом) is an American-born journalist who is residing in Moscow, Russia. Bohm is a regular guest on Russian television political programs such as Time Will Tell, Special Correspondent, and Evening with Vladimir Solovyov.

What did Russia do with German prisoners?

The POWs were employed as forced labor in the Soviet wartime economy and post-war reconstruction. By 1950 almost all surviving POWs had been released, with the last prisoner returning from the USSR in 1956.

Which countries treat prisoners well?

Today, Norway's prison system has become a model for the rest of the world, and some states in the U.S. are following Norway's lead. Norway's recidivism rate is much lower and prisons are now safer and more peaceful.