It was a deal that took more than a year, and intense diplomatic effort, to put together.
Russia exchanged 16 foreigners, mostly ordinary people, for 8 Russians who were spies, an assassin, and cybercriminals.
It was a lopsided trade in Moscow’s favor, but the only way to bring the 16 detainees home. Three were Americans. Seven more U.S. citizens remain in Russian jails (see story here).
One is Marc Fogel (photo, left), who was in Russia to teach, and was arrested for possessing medical marijuana. It was prescribed by his American doctor, but he wasn’t in America. In another country, you’re subject to its laws, and marijuana is illegal in Russia (see article here).
In the video below, Fogel’s sister gets very emotional over the fact he wasn’t included in the prisoner swap. That’s understandable. She appears to blame the Biden administration. That’s not justified. Our diplomats tried, but the Russians decide who to release and who to keep.
Biden was personally involved in the diplomatic efforts (see story here), which required among other things persuading Germany to release a killer they didn’t want to let go (see story here).
Fogel isn’t abandoned; they’re still trying to bring him home. She and her family weren’t “stabbed in the back.” Our government took what it could get in this prisoner exchange, and it’s unfair to blame Biden or the State Department for not getting more.
Travel to Russia is risky. They’re known to grab foreigners to use for prisoner exchanges. Brittney Griner went there to play pro basketball during the WNBA off-season, and hash in her luggage got her 9 years in a penal colony. The U.S. traded an arms dealer for her.
In Fogel’s case, maybe it’s not another hostage they want, but making an example of him. He, too, was caught with something that’s illegal there, and Russians don’t fool around.