'I'm asking you as president': Marc Fogel's mother appeals to Biden to bring her son home

A hint of despair has turned into a wave of determination. Malphine Fogel is on a crusade to get her son home.

And arguably for the first time since Marc Fogel was detained in Russia three years ago, the federal government is taking notice, at least publicly.

Malphine Fogel, at 95 years old, appeared as determined as ever Friday as she conducted an onslaught of national and local media interviews — all in the hope of publicizing her son’s plight. The media blitz came about 24 hours after word broke of a massive, multinational prisoner swap between the United States and Russia in which 24 prisoners changed hands.

Marc Fogel, the 62-year-old teacher from Oakmont who was arrested Aug. 14, 2021, at a Moscow airport after being found in possession of 17 grams of medical marijuana legally dispensed in Pennsylvania, was not among the 24.

The news was crushing to his mother. She sounded defeated Thursday, hours after news broke.

On Friday, she showed steely resolve in her quest to get her son home.

“I’ll do anything I have to do to bring him home,” she said.

President Joe Biden acknowledged publicly Friday that Marc Fogel was on his radar. Reuters quoted the president as saying, “We’re not giving up on that” when asked about Fogel. Biden declined to be more specific.

His national security adviser, however, was.

Jake Sullivan early Friday told “CBS Mornings”: “I am personally working on (getting Fogel released). It doesn’t always work out that we get every American in every deal. Paul Whelan knows that all too well because there have been previous deals he wasn’t in. He was in this one.

“We are going to get Marc Fogel out. I can’t get into the specific details because they are sensitive, but Marc Fogel has been part of the conversation. He is on our agenda. He is a priority for me personally. We’re going to keep working until he’s home.”

Media blitz

The quiet loop of street in Butler where Malphine Fogel lives had a small traffic jam Friday. She was talking to reporters — a lot of reporters.

Inside the small mid-century brick house, what was the simple home where she raised her kids has become command central for the campaign to bring her son home.

A Wall Street Journal filmmaker was documenting everything. A local news crew was just leaving as the TribLive team arrived.

“It’s so sad,” the cameraman said as they passed.

It wasn’t really sad. Not today. On Wednesday, Malphine Fogel was hopeful as a prisoner swap with Russia was being rumored. Thursday was the sad day as the great-grandmother discovered that Marc Fogel was not on the plane with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Marine veteran Paul Whelan and Washington Post columnist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

But Friday, Malphine Fogel was on fire. She moved from interview to interview tirelessly. While talking to the Trib, she paused twice to do remote calls. The laptop in her kitchen was propped up on a case of apple juice to hit the right angle. A shelf behind her was quickly converted to a background with pictures of Marc to drive home the point.

Marc Fogel has a well-documented history of back, knee, hip and shoulder problems covering decades. His medical marijuana was legally dispensed.

But he still was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony. He was there before WNBA player Brittney Griner was arrested for the same crime in February 2022 and there after she was brought home in a prisoner exchange in December 2022. He and his family all hoped he would come home this time.

Malphine Fogel is tiny. She looks fragile. But she conducted interviews with authority, her voice resolute.

How does she feel?

“Betrayed,” she said in one interview.

“I want people to know my son is in a prison in Russia,” she said in another, her voice loud and strong.

This isn’t something she ever wanted. Malphine Fogel isn’t comfortable in the spotlight. She prefers taking care of people, asking them if they want some tea or sending them home with some food.

But she believes two things are necessary to get her son home.

One is to have him designated as wrongfully detained, a specific label that opens his case to dedicated action and resources by the U.S. government. Griner, Gershkovich and Whelan all were designated as such.

The other thing is to call attention to her son’s case — something that is helped by the fact he is now possibly the most high-profile American detainee in Russia. Marc Fogel was a history teacher for the Anglo-American School in Moscow. His students were diplomats’ kids, including one of former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul — one of the few people who regularly mention the Fogel case.

“We just need the attention,” she said. “We have to get people to say his name.”

‘It’s been so long’

Malphine Fogel has heard her son’s name on TV more in the last two days than in the last two years. As one of the Americans left behind, he has the potential to be the person focused on now.

“He’s handsome,” an Inside Edition reporter said as she saw Marc’s picture.

“He was,” Malphine Fogel said ruefully. “I don’t know what he looks like now. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him.”

The coffee table in her living room is covered with printouts of pictures, X-rays that show the screws in her son’s back and Russian visas. If a reporter has a question, there is documentation to back up the answer.

Malphine isn’t alone in this. Her daughters are active in bringing attention to their brother’s situation. They do interviews. They write letters. Marc’s son was recently in Washington, D.C., talking to legislators. There is a dedicated core of volunteers helping with the website FreeMarcFogel.net and a Facebook group organizing supporters.

And there seems to be movement. When pressed to be more specific after addressing the Fogel situation, Biden replied, “You want me to tell you ahead of time so he doesn’t get out?”

Malphine Fogel just wants her son to come home. She admits to being angry and hurt at what she believed is a lack of attention for “common ordinary people just caught in the trap,” but she also knows the president is the best chance to get Marc back.

“I’m asking you as president,” she said, “to designate him as being wrongfully detained.”