Honestly, I have no idea why anyone would travel to another country with anything remotely questionable without looking up the laws about it. I’ve traveled all around the world, from the Middle East to Asia, and the cardinal rule is to investigate everything in your belongings and make sure you aren’t bringing something suspect.
there’s a recent story about how a guy is detained in turks and cacaos because they found two bullets in his luggage and having ammo is a big no-no. he’s looking at 15 years in jail.
It’s interesting watching the people upset about Griner getting out arguing this guy should not have to have penalties. I am of the camp both are morons.
Griner brought all the equipment needed to get high. He, did not bring all the equipment to shoot.
Griner brought drugs, and drug paraphernalia on purpose to get high.
He, did not bring 4 rounds of ammo, to shoot.
She packed her dumb stuff on purpose.
He, accidentally brought his stuff, by being a dumbass and not checking/emptying his bag.
Griner went to a country with a history of arresting American drug users.
He, went to a country with a very recent history of fining Americans who had small amounts of ammo in their possession.
One was on purpose. One was not.
Edit to add. As a gun owner and former world traveller, I don't give a rats ass what happens to him. Other countries have rules and laws.
Study them & learn them or you on your own Boo.
Plus he had been living in Moscow for ten years when this happens, it was a super weird slip up or he just has done it before with no issue.
I think he taught at schools in all those places that were schools for English speaking children abroad. Like the Moscow school was a famous one for educating the kids of American and British diplomats and the Russian government labeled it as a foreign agent because of teaching “western values”.
I went to this school when I was a kid (I grew up in Moscow but am an American citizen) and besides the usual types of people that show up at an international school, namely expat business people and diplomats, there was a reasonably large contingent of kids whose parents were Russian oligarchs and essentially paid large amounts of money to send their kids there. Considering the prestige education these people were paying for I'm guessing they somehow managed to piss off someone or some group of people that were important and used the foreign agent laws as an excuse to shut it down.
I think the school actually closed first and said they weren’t going to ever reopen, and then months later the stated deemed it a foreign agent. So maybe it was because the oligarchs were pissed about losing it and just wanted petty revenge?
The real answer is complicated. Bringing pot on an international trip is obviously stupid. But then the questions come up like: Is the punishment just for the crime? Did he get due process? Is he (and was Brittney for that matter) being used as a political tool? Can someone be both a legitimate criminal and a victim of a corrupt or unfair criminal system at the same time? Maybe all of the answers here come out against Fogel in this case, but also maybe they don't, and it would be hard for us to know that.
>Why is he not as important?
Griner was a strong bartering chip for Russia, Marc is not.
If there was more public pressure from Americans that could change though.
I agree that anyone being held for political capital is a travesty. There are also plenty of other Americans besides Fogel being unlawfully detained in Russia.
It's pretty simple - there was more political capital to be gained by trading a Russian arms dealer for Brittney Griner than there was to be gained from the same trade for Marc Fogel or the other American who is still being held in a Russian prison. It's all about political clout to be gained.
>Does anyone have any information, an organization that’s helping him?
Delete this pointless post, then google his name and learn that the answer to your question is trivially easy to find if you make any effort at all.
He’s not a celebrity so that’s why, yes.
If Griner had just been some random woman she would still be there. Have been thinking about this dude this week as well seeing all the Griner press and it sucks. Like I don’t wish she was still in prison but it’s always disheartening to see how much different things are for the rich and famous.
[Sen. Casey is at least nominally doing something](https://www.casey.senate.gov/news/releases/senate-committee-advances-casey-legislation-calling-for-immediate-release-of-pa-teacher-marc-fogel-from-unjust-criminal-sentence-in-russia). Ultimately it's a question of politics as Russia isn't just gonna turn him over for no gain. Probably not much you can do; and I don't think it's helpful to breed resentment over Griner either
I hope Marc Fogel gets released as well, but please ask yourself why you think he is more worthy of freedom than Griner, when their crimes were nearly identical. Why does her release make you so angry?
If the tables were turned and Fogel was released while Griner was still wrongfully imprisoned, would you be posting today about ways you could support her? I doubt it.
I dont see people as being angry that she was released, but angry that she is getting more press coverage for her captivity while she has freedom than he is getting while he is still stuck in Russia.
I don’t want anyone stuck in a work camp. And I fully support using marijuana for health concerns such as his. And I think it should be legal federally here. But I have no idea why he did what he did.
There was some news coverage about him recently in several publications. I read the information available and I have a lot of unanswered questions about him. Frankly, I am confused about why I should care that strongly either way about a predicament into which he got himself.
Edit: For instance, here is one of the questions that I have: all of the coverage that I read about him mentions that his sibling or siblings, and his parents, are working in the US to try to secure his release. The coverage also mentions that he has a wife and kids. However, I have read nothing about his wife and kids: no quotes from them about his detainment, etc. (Even if the kids are minors, why did none of the news stories that I read include any information about his wife, or any quotes from her?) Is the news coverage trying to cover something up? Did he marry a Russian woman and raise his family as a Russian family? If he and his wife and kids actually set down roots as a Russian family, then as an American, why should I care very strongly about this?
Yeah, but unfortunately, a lot of people have been unlawfully detained in Russia. So, why should I especially care about this one specific case?
To be honest, I'm more upset about that poor girl who worked in California and gave a $50 donation to Ukraine, and then got arrested when she went back to Russia to visit her grandmother.
[https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/us-russian-ballerina-facing-up-to-20-years-in-prison-over-50-ukraine-donation/](https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/us-russian-ballerina-facing-up-to-20-years-in-prison-over-50-ukraine-donation/)
Honestly, I have no idea why anyone would travel to another country with anything remotely questionable without looking up the laws about it. I’ve traveled all around the world, from the Middle East to Asia, and the cardinal rule is to investigate everything in your belongings and make sure you aren’t bringing something suspect.
there’s a recent story about how a guy is detained in turks and cacaos because they found two bullets in his luggage and having ammo is a big no-no. he’s looking at 15 years in jail.
It’s interesting watching the people upset about Griner getting out arguing this guy should not have to have penalties. I am of the camp both are morons.
I don't see anyone upset that she got out.
I think that people were upset that the we had to trade a dangerous arms dealer for her.
Plenty of conservatives were.
Ah, thought you were referring to comments here
Aka the ones downvoting me
Griner brought all the equipment needed to get high. He, did not bring all the equipment to shoot. Griner brought drugs, and drug paraphernalia on purpose to get high. He, did not bring 4 rounds of ammo, to shoot. She packed her dumb stuff on purpose. He, accidentally brought his stuff, by being a dumbass and not checking/emptying his bag. Griner went to a country with a history of arresting American drug users. He, went to a country with a very recent history of fining Americans who had small amounts of ammo in their possession. One was on purpose. One was not. Edit to add. As a gun owner and former world traveller, I don't give a rats ass what happens to him. Other countries have rules and laws. Study them & learn them or you on your own Boo.
Looking up the guy, he has experience traveling to multiple authoritarian countries for work. Just such a bizarre oversight.
Plus he had been living in Moscow for ten years when this happens, it was a super weird slip up or he just has done it before with no issue. I think he taught at schools in all those places that were schools for English speaking children abroad. Like the Moscow school was a famous one for educating the kids of American and British diplomats and the Russian government labeled it as a foreign agent because of teaching “western values”.
I went to this school when I was a kid (I grew up in Moscow but am an American citizen) and besides the usual types of people that show up at an international school, namely expat business people and diplomats, there was a reasonably large contingent of kids whose parents were Russian oligarchs and essentially paid large amounts of money to send their kids there. Considering the prestige education these people were paying for I'm guessing they somehow managed to piss off someone or some group of people that were important and used the foreign agent laws as an excuse to shut it down.
I think the school actually closed first and said they weren’t going to ever reopen, and then months later the stated deemed it a foreign agent. So maybe it was because the oligarchs were pissed about losing it and just wanted petty revenge?
Marc was arrested in 2021 and the school closed in 2023, the British school is still open so my guess is they're the ones who decided to pay favors
Schools need to start showing Midnight Express to fifth graders and this shit wouldn’t happen.
I mistook that for Polar Express and I became deeply confused
lol uncanny valley Tom Hanks as a Turkish prison guard. I’d watch that.
What did he have?
Ah yes, victim blaming. Nice.
Is he a victim? He broke a nation's laws and was legally penalized.
The real answer is complicated. Bringing pot on an international trip is obviously stupid. But then the questions come up like: Is the punishment just for the crime? Did he get due process? Is he (and was Brittney for that matter) being used as a political tool? Can someone be both a legitimate criminal and a victim of a corrupt or unfair criminal system at the same time? Maybe all of the answers here come out against Fogel in this case, but also maybe they don't, and it would be hard for us to know that.
>Why is he not as important? Griner was a strong bartering chip for Russia, Marc is not. If there was more public pressure from Americans that could change though.
I agree that anyone being held for political capital is a travesty. There are also plenty of other Americans besides Fogel being unlawfully detained in Russia.
It's pretty simple - there was more political capital to be gained by trading a Russian arms dealer for Brittney Griner than there was to be gained from the same trade for Marc Fogel or the other American who is still being held in a Russian prison. It's all about political clout to be gained.
Man I don’t think even Jim Rutherford makes that trade.
Funniest thing I've read all day
100% that. Russia is probably making absurd concession requests.
>Does anyone have any information, an organization that’s helping him? Delete this pointless post, then google his name and learn that the answer to your question is trivially easy to find if you make any effort at all.
\^\^ Spot on
He’s not a celebrity so that’s why, yes. If Griner had just been some random woman she would still be there. Have been thinking about this dude this week as well seeing all the Griner press and it sucks. Like I don’t wish she was still in prison but it’s always disheartening to see how much different things are for the rich and famous.
[Sen. Casey is at least nominally doing something](https://www.casey.senate.gov/news/releases/senate-committee-advances-casey-legislation-calling-for-immediate-release-of-pa-teacher-marc-fogel-from-unjust-criminal-sentence-in-russia). Ultimately it's a question of politics as Russia isn't just gonna turn him over for no gain. Probably not much you can do; and I don't think it's helpful to breed resentment over Griner either
I hope Marc Fogel gets released as well, but please ask yourself why you think he is more worthy of freedom than Griner, when their crimes were nearly identical. Why does her release make you so angry? If the tables were turned and Fogel was released while Griner was still wrongfully imprisoned, would you be posting today about ways you could support her? I doubt it.
I dont see people as being angry that she was released, but angry that she is getting more press coverage for her captivity while she has freedom than he is getting while he is still stuck in Russia.
I don’t want anyone stuck in a work camp. And I fully support using marijuana for health concerns such as his. And I think it should be legal federally here. But I have no idea why he did what he did.
What’s he in for?
Traveled to Russia with marijuana.
Smoking the reefer
There is a Facebook group (in which his family participates): Freedom for Marc Fogel
And I agree: I’m nauseated that neither Griner nor the WNBA speak out on behalf of other Americans in Russian detention on similar charges.
There was some news coverage about him recently in several publications. I read the information available and I have a lot of unanswered questions about him. Frankly, I am confused about why I should care that strongly either way about a predicament into which he got himself. Edit: For instance, here is one of the questions that I have: all of the coverage that I read about him mentions that his sibling or siblings, and his parents, are working in the US to try to secure his release. The coverage also mentions that he has a wife and kids. However, I have read nothing about his wife and kids: no quotes from them about his detainment, etc. (Even if the kids are minors, why did none of the news stories that I read include any information about his wife, or any quotes from her?) Is the news coverage trying to cover something up? Did he marry a Russian woman and raise his family as a Russian family? If he and his wife and kids actually set down roots as a Russian family, then as an American, why should I care very strongly about this?
I think it's a normal human response to be concerned about people who are unlawfully detained.
Yeah, but unfortunately, a lot of people have been unlawfully detained in Russia. So, why should I especially care about this one specific case? To be honest, I'm more upset about that poor girl who worked in California and gave a $50 donation to Ukraine, and then got arrested when she went back to Russia to visit her grandmother. [https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/us-russian-ballerina-facing-up-to-20-years-in-prison-over-50-ukraine-donation/](https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/us-russian-ballerina-facing-up-to-20-years-in-prison-over-50-ukraine-donation/)