American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who serves as an editor for US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague, has been detained in the Russian city of Kazan. Kurmasheva, who holds both US and Russian citizenship, was temporarily detained on 2 June after visiting her family in Kazan. She was detained once again on Wednesday and now faces charges of failing to register as a foreign agent, a charge that carries a potential jail term of up to five years.
Kurmasheva’s arrest marks the second instance this year of an American journalist being held in Russia. Earlier this year, Wall Street Journal Moscow correspondent Evan Gershkovich, 31, was arrested and charged with espionage. Both his employer and the US government have strongly denied the charges, asserting that he is being detained as a potential bargaining chip for Russian citizens held in US or allied custody.
According to RFE/RL, Kurmasheva travelled to Kazan in late May due to a family emergency. While waiting for her return flight, she was detained, and both her Russian and American passports were confiscated. Authorities have charged her with failing to register as a foreign agent and with collecting information on behalf of foreign governments, as reported by Tatar Inform, a local state news site.
Critics argue that the laws under which Kurmasheva is charged are excessively broad, potentially prohibiting the collection of even basic information about military personnel. Dmitry Kolezev, a prominent Russian journalist, stated, “They took another hostage,” highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Kurmasheva’s journalistic work has often focused on issues facing ethnic minorities in central Russia. Independent Russian media organisations and press freedom watchdogs have raised concerns that repressive laws are routinely exploited by Russian authorities to harass journalists and stifle independent reporting. Several journalists and Kremlin critics have been labelled “foreign agents,” a term that carries serious implications for their work and safety.
The international community watches with growing concern as the plight of journalists in Russia continues to deteriorate, raising alarm about the state of press freedom within the country. The arrest of Alsu Kurmasheva further underscores the challenges faced by journalists operating in an increasingly restrictive environment in Russia.
Kiki Garba
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