The U.S. State Department has formally designated Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania history teacher imprisoned in Russia, as wrongfully detained. Fogel has been serving a 14-year sentence since his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for possessing what his family claims was medically prescribed marijuana.

The designation, confirmed by officials on Friday, marks a significant shift in Fogel's case management. This status change typically transfers case supervision to the office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, a specialized State Department division focused on negotiating the release of Americans wrongfully held abroad.

'The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel's release for some time. We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to,' the State Department stated in their announcement.

The decision to classify a detained American as wrongfully held involves various considerations, including evidence of innocence and whether the detention serves as leverage for influencing U.S. policy or securing concessions from the American government.

This development represents a formal acknowledgment of the State Department's efforts to secure Fogel's release, with Secretary of State having made the determination in October that Fogel's detention was wrongful.