Russian court to rule on detention of US journalist
October 20, 2023
A Russian court said it will decide on Friday whether to place in detention Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
Kurmasheva, who works for the Tatar-Bashkir service of the US-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was arrested on October 18 on charges of failing to register as a "foreign agent."
Tatar and Bashkir are Turkic languages spoken by traditionally Muslim populations in Russia's central Volga region.
The ruling will be given by the Sovetski court in Kazan, which is the capital of the Tatarstan autonomous republic in central Russia.
RFE/RL has been labeled as a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities since 2017. After it launched its war in Ukraine in early 2022, Russia expanded the definition of "foreign agents" to include anyone receiving any kind of support from abroad, including organizational or technical assistance.
What are the charges against US-Russian journalist Kurmasheva?
In a statement, RFE/RL acting president Jeffrey Gedmin called for Kurmasheva's immediate release so "she can return to her family." He said that she is a "highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children."
Kurmasheva lives in the Czech capital, Prague. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said that she entered Russia on May 20 to attend to a family emergency.
The committee said it was "deeply concerned" with the charges, adding that she could face up to five years in jail if found guilty.
She was temporarily detained on June 2 before her return flight and her US and Russian passports were confiscated, according to RFE/RFL. According to court documents, she was fined 10,000 robles ($104, €98.5) on October 11.
RFE/RFL said that Kurmasheva covered ethnic minorities in Tatarstan and the neighboring Bashkortostan autonomous republic and focused on efforts to preserve the Tatar language. The broadcaster said that Russian authorities "have exerted increased pressure on Tatars in recent years."
Kurmasheva is the second US journalist to be held by Russia in recent months. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained since March, when he was accused of spying.
Earlier this month, a Moscow court rejected Gershkovich's appeal of detention and ordered him to be held until the end of November.
sdi/wmr (AFP, Reuters)