U.S.-Russian journalist held in Russian detention as per stated by employer
US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, employed by RFE/RL, has been denied bail and ordered to continue her detention till at least August 5 by a Russian court.
Kurmasheva has been confined since October for allegedly failing to register as a "foreign agent," a charge that can potentially land her a 15-year prison sentence in Russia. The journalist is also accused of propagating "false information" about the Russian army.
In May, Kurmasheva appealed against the extension of her pre-trial detention at the Supreme Court of Tatarstan, where she's imprisoned. However, the court has recently dismissed her appeal. The "false information" charges are believed to stem from Kurmasheva's role in the publication of a book featuring testimonials of Russian opponents to the offensive in Ukraine.
Before her arrest, Kurmasheva resided in Prague with her husband and two daughters. Upon her return from a visit to her sick mother in Russia in May 2023, her passports were confiscated, preventing her from leaving the country.
Kurmasheva started working for RFE/RL in 1998 and specializes in covering ethnic minorities in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan regions with her expertise in Tatar and Bashkir languages.
Washington has criticized Moscow for detaining US citizens with the intention to exchange them for Russians being held in the West. In March 2023, US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Moscow on espionage charges and has been detained since then. Gershkovich's trial, which could result in his 20-year imprisonment, is scheduled to commence on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains.
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- Despite the ongoing US-Russian tension, Kurmasheva's employer, RFE/RL, has been vocal in advocating for her fair treatment in the Russian Court of law.
- The detention of Kurmasheva, a Russian journalist working for an American media outlet, has raised concerns about freedom of the press and potential US-Russian diplomatic repercussions.
- The pre-trial detention of Kurmasheva has been criticized by many international journalism organizations as a form of repression against the free press and Russian dissidents.
- As her employer, RFE/RL has been actively supporting Kurmasheva during her trial, urging the Russian authorities to respect her fundamental rights and released her from detention.
