American Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva detained in Russia for over 4 months on 'Foreign Agent' charges, will she be jailed?
Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S. journalist, over allegations of not complying with foreign agent registration requirements. Kurmasheva who is the Editor at Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been confined to a detention centre in Russia’s Kazan. Her organization gets financial support from the US government. This occurrence represents the second instance of a U.S. journalist encountering legal custody in Russia during this year.
Family Emergency and Dual Citizenship
Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual US and Russian citizen, is employed by RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir service, where she concentrates on concerns affecting ethnic minority groups in central Russia. She makes her home in Prague with her spouse and two kids. In May, Kurmasheva journeyed to Kazan, Russia, due to a family-related crisis. On June 2, Kurmasheva was waiting for her scheduled flight to return home. However, her passports were seized during that time and now she has been waiting to leave the country since then.
Initial Fine and New Accusations
Kurmasheva was first charged for not registering her US passport with the authorities of Russia. However, things took a difficult turn while she waited for her passports to be returned to her. Though she wished to get back soon, she was accused of charges which stopped her from leaving the country. Now, she is facing charges that could lead her to prison for 5 years, as per the Russian Criminal Code.
The US journalist has now been accused of «failing to register herself as a foreign agent in her capacity as a person collecting information on Russian military activities that 'could be used against the security of the Russian Federation,'» according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Journalistic Work and Broad
