It’s really, uh, I could say diabolical. Like it’s, it’s like *** programmed way to make people miserable. In his first national interview since his release from *** brutal Russian prison last year. Pennsylvania native Mark Fogel is opening up about the 1,277 days he spent behind bars in *** foreign country, and Thesby Mahfus is here with what was revealed in that interview and *** pretty candid conversation he had. Yeah, so Fogel describes the hardest part of returning home after more than 1200 days in Russian detention has been readjusting to ordinary life. So simple things like going to the grocery store felt overwhelming to him and also reminded him of How much he had been cut off from normal society. So Fogel, originally from the Oakmont area of Western Pennsylvania, was arrested in 2021 for carrying marijuana at the Moscow airport. And even though he had *** prescription for medical marijuana here in the United States, it is illegal in Russia. And that’s why they convicted and sent him to prison in 2022. But Fogel says the country’s prison system felt highly organized and, like you heard, deliberately cruel. The society has *** really clear cut system of incarcerating people that dates back centuries, sending them to Siberia, the Soviets with the gulag. So when you get into that system, you realize that they have *** program that’s really well documented. They know what to do, when to press buttons, when not to, and it’s *** very systematic system, *** systematic system, but. You know, they know what they’re doing. So Fogel says he came to believe his 14-year sentence was effectively *** death sentence, especially given his age of 60, and that the fact that others with more serious drug cases received lighter punishment. Now eventually though, he got out as he was declared wrongfully detained by the US government, and the State Department worked to negotiate *** deal to free him. We first reported that to you. So Fogel credits the work done by his family, lawmakers, and eventually the White House to bring him back to American soil. How do you ever get past that agony? There’s too many good things to look forward to, to be worried about what’s behind me. And you know You know, I’ve read voraciously the books that I was given. And there were 2 books that I, you know, and I wrote, I mean, hundreds and hundreds of quotes, and, and two of the quotes I remember taking out, one was from Jane Eyre, where, uh, it was said to her, Jane, which is my wife’s name, I think that you really need to be focusing on what the good things ahead of you are and not what you’ve lived through in the past. It’s too much bright out there. What *** great mindset to have and so happy that he’s back. So like you heard, there Fogel is now looking to focus on the future rather than the trauma of the past. He’s urging support for other Americans still imprisoned in Russia.
Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania native and former teacher, is reflecting on the 1,277 days he spent in a Russian prison and the difficulties of readjusting to everyday life after his release last year.In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, he described how even simple activities, like grocery shopping, felt overwhelming and reminded him of how much he had been cut off from normal society. Arrest and imprisonment in RussiaFogel, originally from the Oakmont area of western Pennsylvania, was arrested in 2021 at Moscow’s airport for carrying marijuana. Although he had a prescription for medical marijuana in the United States, it is illegal in Russia, leading to his conviction and imprisonment in 2022. Fogel said the Russian prison system felt highly organized and deliberately cruel. “The society has a really clear-cut system of incarcerating people that dates back centuries, sending them to Siberia, the Soviets with the gulag. So when you get into that system, you realize that they have a program that’s really well documented. They know what to do, when to press buttons, when not to. And it’s a very systematic system, but you know, they know what they’re doing,” he said. At the age of 60, Fogel believed his 14-year sentence was effectively a death sentence, especially since others with more serious drug cases received lighter punishments. Release and looking aheadEventually, Fogel was declared “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. government, and the State Department worked to negotiate his release. He credited his family, lawmakers, and the White House for their efforts in bringing him back to the United States. “How do you ever get past that agony? There’s too many good things to look forward to, to be worried about what’s behind me,” Fogel said. “I read voraciously the books that I was given, and there were two books that I, you know, and I wrote, I mean, hundreds and hundreds of quotes, and two of the quotes I remember taking out. One was from Jane Eyre, where it was said to her, ‘Jane,’ which is my wife’s name, ‘I think that you really need to be focusing on what the good things ahead of you are, not what you’ve lived through in the past. There’s too much brightness out there.’” Fogel is now focusing on the future and urging support for other Americans still imprisoned in Russia.
Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania native and former teacher, is reflecting on the 1,277 days he spent in a Russian prison and the difficulties of readjusting to everyday life after his release last year.
In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, he described how even simple activities, like grocery shopping, felt overwhelming and reminded him of how much he had been cut off from normal society.
Arrest and imprisonment in Russia
Fogel, originally from the Oakmont area of western Pennsylvania, was arrested in 2021 at Moscow’s airport for carrying marijuana. Although he had a prescription for medical marijuana in the United States, it is illegal in Russia, leading to his conviction and imprisonment in 2022.
Fogel said the Russian prison system felt highly organized and deliberately cruel. “The society has a really clear-cut system of incarcerating people that dates back centuries, sending them to Siberia, the Soviets with the gulag. So when you get into that system, you realize that they have a program that’s really well documented. They know what to do, when to press buttons, when not to. And it’s a very systematic system, but you know, they know what they’re doing,” he said.
At the age of 60, Fogel believed his 14-year sentence was effectively a death sentence, especially since others with more serious drug cases received lighter punishments.
Release and looking ahead
Eventually, Fogel was declared “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. government, and the State Department worked to negotiate his release. He credited his family, lawmakers, and the White House for their efforts in bringing him back to the United States.
Al Drago
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel back to the United States.
“How do you ever get past that agony? There’s too many good things to look forward to, to be worried about what’s behind me,” Fogel said. “I read voraciously the books that I was given, and there were two books that I, you know, and I wrote, I mean, hundreds and hundreds of quotes, and two of the quotes I remember taking out. One was from Jane Eyre, where it was said to her, ‘Jane,’ which is my wife’s name, ‘I think that you really need to be focusing on what the good things ahead of you are, not what you’ve lived through in the past. There’s too much brightness out there.’”
Fogel is now focusing on the future and urging support for other Americans still imprisoned in Russia.