Marc Fogel, an American man detained in Russia whose sister lives in Missoula, was not included in the list of people released on Thursday in a prisoner swap with Russia.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, lamented the fact that Fogel was not included.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, shown addressing the Montana House of Representatives recently.
“I’m relieved to see innocent Americans finally coming home after years of unjust imprisonment at the hands of the Kremlin, but while we celebrate the return of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and the other prisoners, we must remember that Marc Fogel is still wrongfully detained,” Daines said in a press release on Thursday. “For three years now, Marc has been held in a Russian prison and endured unthinkable treatment. The United States must continue to do everything it can to bring Marc home and reunite him with his loved ones.”
Fogel’s sister Anne Fogel lives in Missoula and has advocated for his release. She recently told the A New Angle podcast of Missoula that Fogel has been detained in Russia since 2021 for allegedly having cannabis.
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Sen. Jon Tester has also called on Russia to release Fogel.
“Marc Fogel has been unjustly imprisoned in Russia for too long, and I continue to call on the Administration to secure his return,” Tester said last year. “I recently met with Marc’s family and I pledged to keep pushing to bring him home. I won’t rest until this innocent American is reunited with his loved ones.”
David Erickson is the business reporter for the Missoulian.Â
