Marc Fogel’s family left ‘heartbroken and outraged’ as jailed US teacher is left out of Russia prisoner swap

The release of several Americans and other westerners from Russian detention has been hailed as the biggest and most significant prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War.

But one family has been left “heartbroken and outraged” after their loved one was left out of the historic deal.

American teacher Marc Fogel, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been held in a Russian prison for the last three years after he was arrested in August 2021 for possession of 17 grams of medical cannabis.

On Thursday, as three Americans touched down back on US soil following the historic deal negotiated by President Joe Biden, Fogel’s wife spoke out to say the family is “devastated” that he wasn’t among them.

“We are devastated, and we feel that Marc has definitely been left behind,” Jane Fogel, Marc's wife of 27 years, told Newsweek.

“He has not committed a crime worthy of the punishment he is enduring, and people are being set free that have done horrible things.

“He's an American who has been there for three years, and he should've been part of this swap.”

Jane said that the family was “disappointed” with the Biden administration’s handling of her husband’s case.

“We all voted for him. We’re very disappointed in the lack of communication we have had with the administration, and we’re devastated Marc wasn’t part of this swap,” she said.

Fogel and his wife had been teaching at the Anglo-American School of Moscow for 27 years.

The 63-year-old had been due to retire in 2020 but opted to stay on an extra year.

In August 2021, the couple was returning from a summer vacation when Fogel was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport.

He was detained for possession of medical cannabis, convicted and sentenced to 14