The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously approved a resolution voicing support for Americans incarcerated in Russia—including a U.S. citizen who is serving a 14-year sentence over possession of medical marijuana that he obtained legally in Pennsylvania.
The House passed the measure from Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) in a 422-0 vote on Tuesday.
The main focus of the legislation is on Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested in Russia in March on charges of espionage, an allegation that has been widely decried as false and politically motivated by U.S. officials and media organizations.
But another line of the resolution states that the House “expresses continued support for all American citizens and lawful permanent residents detained in Russia and abroad, including Marc Fogel, who faces a politicized, excessive sentence for his alleged offense.”
Fogel’s detention has prompted numerous calls from lawmakers to enhance diplomatic efforts to secure his release, with bipartisan members acknowledging that the cannabis he possessed was for medical purposes and recommended by a doctor in Pennsylvania.
For example, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, requesting that the government
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