The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said that the American high officials still hope to enable the release of the American citizen Mark Vogel, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence in Russia.

Vogel is a 63-year-old teacher who worked at the US Embassy in Moscow. He was convicted of drug smuggling after he was detained at the Moscow airport in August 2021 with 17 grams of marijuana in his luggage. Vogel claims he uses it for medical reasons. At the time of the detention, Vogel worked at the now-closed Anglo-American School in Moscow.

- We will not give up, said Biden.

A historic prisoner exchange took place yesterday involving 24 prisoners – 16 sent from Russia to the West, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and eight sent back to Russia from Western countries.

Ann Vogel, the sister of the teacher convicted in Russia, told PBS NewsHour yesterday that Vogel's family spoke with Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, two years ago, but have not heard from authorities since then.

– Mark was not prioritized at any point. He was sentenced under the same code as Brittney Greiner, but was not found to be wrongfully detained. "We don't have the support of the NBA or the Wall Street Journal, so it's very difficult for us to get our loved one back," she said.

American basketball player Britney Greiner was released from Russian custody in a 2022 prisoner exchange. She was detained at a Moscow airport with vape chargers, which contained cannabis oil, in her luggage.

- It is absolutely unfair that he was not sent home in the largest historical exchange of prisoners since the Second World War, said Ann Vogel, referring to yesterday's exchange.