Mark Vogel, an American citizen, worked as a history teacher at an English-American school in Moscow for nearly a decade. There were children of an American diplomat among his students.
“He is a very beloved teacher and an award-winning teacher,” one of his sisters, Ann Vogel, told CNN. “He is an incredibly enthusiastic person and has an amazing enthusiasm for his life, which has made him a good teacher and his students have loved him.”
He was arrested 11 months ago at an airport in the Russian capital, returning to school after traveling to the country with cannabis.
His family and lawyers said he was carrying it for medical purposes recommended by his doctor to treat “severe spinal pain.”
The situation surrounding Vogel’s case has other similarities to Greener’s case. Vogel was found to carry far more material than Greener, but both Americans were arrested at a Russian airport for having cannabis.
However, unlike Greener, Vogel is not classified as being illegally detained. This is a designation that encourages the US Government to actively engage in negotiations to secure his release as part of the efforts of the State Department’s special envoy on hostage issues.
“The Greener case further strengthens the claim that his classification is tort, but apart from that, he should be designated as tort. It cannot be explained without political motives because it is not summed up, “said Thomas Firestone, a member of Vogel’s US legal team.
“Terrible imbalance”
Vogel’s length laid the ground on his family, who filed the appeal, and Firestone, who told CNN that “14 years of such crimes are very imbalanced.”
“Given the other rulings of the Russian system, it’s also an imbalance. In Russia, there are murderers sentenced to only 10 years in prison,” said a former Ministry of Justice employee, legal adviser and deputy. Firestone, who served, said. Chief of Law Enforcement at the US Embassy in Moscow.
“We have appealed. We hope that the Russian judicial system recognizes this humanity and that an elderly 61-year-old man cannot do this kind of time at this time,” Ann Vogel told CNN. Told. .. This is his death sentence. “
“Every day is full of frustration. Frustration is probably not advanced enough,” Vogel’s other sister, Elise Highland, told CNN. Profile works within the Russian legal system and provides all supporting documents in support of his case-expecting a generous judgment, but they did not receive it.
“This ruling given by my brother is exorbitant. We know that this ruling is beyond reasonable, and it is because of his position as an American citizen.” She said.
A foreign government that detains an individual “just because he is a U.S. citizen or in substance” is one of the criteria under the U.S. Government’s Robert Levinson Act to determine if someone is being torted. ..
“I don’t know if Grinner’s fame affected the State Department and immediately designated her as being illegally detained. What information do they have about her detention and the background of the case?” It’s hard to say if you’re doing it. “
“These cases are always multi-factor analyses and are often based on sensitive information and intelligence,” he told CNN.
“Each case is unique and we look at the whole situation when determining whether detention is illegal,” said Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department. Stated.
“I never close the book for a particular case. I’m always watching the facts. I’m always watching the situation,” he said in a State Department briefing. “As we learn more about a particular case, as we learn about detention situations, charges, guarantees of fair trials, due process or lack thereof, we are always to determine if Americans are being torted. Are you weighing those developments against the standard? “
Vogel’s family said he wanted to be designated as being illegally detained, but he wants the U.S. government to do everything he can to bring him home. ..
But time is important, his family said.
Ann Vogel told CNN that her family had only received a letter from Mark and hadn’t talked to him for nearly a year.
“It’s incredibly worrisome because we can’t really have it, there’s no honest conversation. Everything goes through censorship. It’s miserable,” she said.
“We feel like we’re in a black box, and we’re trying to feel our way,” she said. “This was one of the absolute most difficult times for my family.”
Source: www.cnn.com
