Christmas Cards Requested For Oakmont Man Imprisoned In Russia

OAKMONT, PA — The family of an Oakmont man serving a lengthy prison sentence in Russia is asking people to send him Christmas cards to lift his spirits as he spends the holiday behind bars.

Last year, Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in a maximum security prison after being caught with 17 grams of medical marijuana with to treat a spinal condition. He was arrested in 2021 at a Moscow airport after going to Russia to teach.

Anne Fogel, the sister of the imprisoned man, recently made the Christmas card request on the Freedom for Mark Fogel Facebook page.

"It does two things," Anne Fogel wrote. "The cards let Marc know we haven't forgotten him and it also lets the State Department know the same."

Cards can be sent to this address:

American Citizen Services/ MHF
Consular Services
5430 Moscow Place
Department of State
Washington, DC 20521-5430

"The drive to Marc’s colony is about 6-8 hours away from Moscow and requires an overnight trip," Anne Fogel wrote. "He may not get the cards before Christmas, but whenever they arrive, it’s a good day."

In July, Pennsylvania U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly and Chris Deluzio introduced a resolution in Congress calling for Fogel's immediate release. The resolution urged the Biden administration to prioritize securing Fogel's release and the release of other U.S. citizens being wrongfully detained.

“We cannot sit by while Putin’s Russia plays political games with the lives of Americans like my constituent Marc Fogel, Deluzio said at the time.

“Marc faces unjust and disproportionate charges for possession of his legally prescribed>medical marijuana. Further, I am concerned that he is living in abysmal and harsh conditions that could threaten his health."