Family of Oakmont teacher detained in Russia suing federal government

PITTSBURGH — The family of an Oakmont man being held in a Russian prison is suing the United States government.

Marc Fogel’s family filed a federal lawsuit in Pittsburgh against the state department.

>> Family of Oakmont teacher detained in Russia still fighting to bring him home 2 years later

Fogel’s family claims the government is treating him differently than other American citizens arrested in Russia and have failed to declare him as wrongfully detained.

The family is questioning why his case isn’t being treated with the same severity as similar cases, such as formerly detained WNBA star Brittney Griner.

>> Family of Oakmont man detained in Russia demands answers, pleads for his freedom

“It’s not equal and it’s not fair. And my mother feels that way. If you do for one, you do for the other. That is the way our country runs, and Marc can’t defend himself,” Anne Fogel, Marc’s sister, told Channel 11.

Fogel has been held in Russia since August 2021 for having medical marijuana.

>> Oakmont man held in Russia to be moved to labor camp

He was sentenced to 14 years in a maximum security penal colony.

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