Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva is facing extended pre-trial detention in Russia on charges of failing to register as a ‘foreign agent’ and spreading ‘false information’ about Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Her employer, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has called her detention unjust and politically motivated, as she faces a maximum combined sentence of 15 years in prison.
Kurmasheva, who holds both US and Russian passports, was arrested in June at an airport in Russia and has been in custody since October. She was initially fined for failing to register her US passport with Russian authorities before facing the ‘foreign agent’ charges. Her husband, also a journalist with RFE/RL, has spoken out against her detention, calling the charges brought against her a pretext for Russia to hold her as an American.
Kurmasheva is the second US journalist to be arrested and charged in Russia, with the first being Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal. Gershkovich is also facing spying charges, which he, his newspaper, and the US government strongly deny. Both journalists’ supporters have been lobbying for their release as ‘wrongfully detained’ by the US government.