IUP has issued a statement concerning the status change for university alum Marc Fogel, who remains in a Russian penal colony.
The Pennsylvania native was detained at the airport in Moscow when officials discovered legally-prescribed medicinal marijuana in his luggage in August of 2021, and was ordered to serve a 14-year sentence in a maximum security penal colony. Since his arrest, Fogel’s family and several government officials have fought to have him named a “wrongfully detained” person. This means the U.S. government sees him as an equivalent of a political hostage and that the charges against him are fabricated. It also provides the family with several resources, including medical care, mental health services and financial support.
In a brief statement, IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll reiterated the university’s support for Fogel and his family, and his happiness with the status change, saying “The additional support the status enables are critical to Marc and his family. I hope that the State Department will now focus on getting Marc back home where he belongs.”
