Russia sentences U.S. dual national journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to prison for reporting amid Ukraine war
A court in Russia has sentenced journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national, to prison after a completely closed trial.
A Russian court has found Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist working for the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), guilty of spreading false information about the Russian military and sentenced her to 6½ years in prison following a secret trial. This conviction, which took place in the city of Kazan, coincided with the sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg to 16 years on espionage charges, a case the U.S. deems politically motivated.
Kurmasheva, a 47-year-old editor for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir service, was found guilty of "spreading false information" by the Supreme Court of Tatarstan. The court spokesperson confirmed the sentence but provided no details about the accusations due to the case's secrecy classification. RFE/RL's President and CEO, Stephen Capus, denounced the trial and conviction, calling for Kurmasheva's immediate release.
Kurmasheva, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Russia, resides in Prague with her family. She was initially detained in June 2023 at Kazan International Airport and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent while gathering information about the Russian military. Later, she was also accused of spreading false information about the military, an offense under legislation that effectively criminalizes any public expression deviating from the Kremlin's narrative on the war in Ukraine.
Her family understood the risks of her traveling to Russia but emphasized the purpose of her visit, which was to care for her ailing mother. Kurmasheva's work includes editing a book featuring stories of individuals opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Her husband, Pavel Butorin, highlights the absence of anything criminal in these stories and asserts her right to collect and publish such opinions as a journalist.
RFE/RL has consistently called for Kurmasheva's release, challenging Moscow's use of foreign agent laws in the European Court of Human Rights. The organization was designated an "undesirable organization" in Russia in February and has been fined millions of dollars.
The swift and secretive nature of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich's trials in Russia's politicized legal system fuels hopes for a potential prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. Russia has previously indicated a possible exchange involving Gershkovich, pending a verdict in his case. With nine U.S. citizens currently detained in Russia, arrests of Americans have become increasingly common amid escalating tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
Kurmasheva, a 47-year-old editor for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir service, was found guilty of "spreading false information" by the Supreme Court of Tatarstan. The court spokesperson confirmed the sentence but provided no details about the accusations due to the case's secrecy classification. RFE/RL's President and CEO, Stephen Capus, denounced the trial and conviction, calling for Kurmasheva's immediate release.
Kurmasheva, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Russia, resides in Prague with her family. She was initially detained in June 2023 at Kazan International Airport and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent while gathering information about the Russian military. Later, she was also accused of spreading false information about the military, an offense under legislation that effectively criminalizes any public expression deviating from the Kremlin's narrative on the war in Ukraine.
Her family understood the risks of her traveling to Russia but emphasized the purpose of her visit, which was to care for her ailing mother. Kurmasheva's work includes editing a book featuring stories of individuals opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Her husband, Pavel Butorin, highlights the absence of anything criminal in these stories and asserts her right to collect and publish such opinions as a journalist.
RFE/RL has consistently called for Kurmasheva's release, challenging Moscow's use of foreign agent laws in the European Court of Human Rights. The organization was designated an "undesirable organization" in Russia in February and has been fined millions of dollars.
The swift and secretive nature of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich's trials in Russia's politicized legal system fuels hopes for a potential prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. Russia has previously indicated a possible exchange involving Gershkovich, pending a verdict in his case. With nine U.S. citizens currently detained in Russia, arrests of Americans have become increasingly common amid escalating tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.