Griner release puts spotlight on other detained Americans

(NewsNation) — As Brittney Griner’s family celebrates her return, there’s another family in a complete opposite situation: the family of Marc Fogel.

He’s a 61-year-old American school teacher who has been held prisoner in Russia since last year. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being caught with 17 grams of cannabis that was medically prescribed by his doctors.

Why hasn’t Fogel’s name been mentioned that much, and is anyone doing anything to get him released?

Anne Fogel, Marc’s sister, told NewsNation’s “CUOMO” that while she’s happy about the release of Griner, her family has mixed emotions.

“We’re really kept in the dark on what the issue is of why he (Marc) would be left out of this process. Although, they’ve told us that he’s not left out of the process, that he is always at the top of the conversation… That they are still considering the situation,” Fogel said. “I don’t understand why they’re holding this up… Unless they believe that he is lawfully there? That he deserves a 14 year punishment for this.”