American Teacher Marc Fogel Released From Russian Prison After 3.5 Years

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UPDATE: Feb. 12 — President Donald Trump welcomed American schoolteacher Marc Fogel at the White House late Tuesday, following his release from a Russian prison.

Fogel spoke to reporters alongside Trump, praising the president for his efforts to free him.

“I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” Fogel said.

Trump also defended the U.S.-Russia deal to secure Fogel’s freedom when asked to spell out its terms.

“Very fair. Very, very fair, very reasonable, not like deals you’ve seen over the years,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Marc Fogel, speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, on Feb. 11 in Washington.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday said the U.S. has freed a Russian citizen in exchange for Fogel’s release but declined to name them until they return to the country.

PREVIOUSLY:

American schoolteacher Marc Fogel has been released from a Russian prison after three and a half years in captivity, national security adviser Mike Waltz shared Tuesday.

The 63-year-old, whom U.S. authorities had designated as wrongfully detained, was found guilty by a Russian court in 2022 and sentenced to 14 years for a minor marijuana infraction ― a harsher punishment than Russia has