Russia: Russian-American Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva Faces 5 Years for Failing to Register as “Foreign Agent”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces these baseless charges and demands Kurmasheva’s immediate release
Location: Russia, Kazan
Date: October 18, 2023***Updated on December 12, 2023
Police in Kazan have detained Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s editor Alsu Kurmasheva. After first confiscating her passport for five months, authorities are now charging her with failure to register as a “foreign agent.” Following Evan Gershkovich’s detention in March, Kurmasheva is the second American journalist put behind bars in Russia this year. The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom condemns this attempt by Kremlin authorities to repress the free press. We demand her immediate and unconditional release.
The Sovetsky District Court in Kazan, Russia, extended Kurmasheva's detention until February 5, 2024, amidst charges of failing to register as a foreign agent. This decision follows her initial custody period, which began during her visit to Russia for a family emergency, with her detention already extended once until December 5.
A day before the court’s decision, in a concerted effort to address the plight of the detained journalist in Russia, The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom joined fourteen leading press freedom and First Amendment organizations to call upon U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for decisive action. The coalition, led by the National Press Club and the NPC Journalism Institute, is pressing for the immediate declaration that the Russian government has wrongfully detained RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. On December 4, a group of U.S. Representatives, including André Carson (D-Ind.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), also co-signed a letter to the State Department urging it to do the same.
“Alsu was detained simply because she is an employee of Radio Liberty. In fact, now any independent journalist in Russia risks the same thing,” a colleague of Alsu Kurmasheva told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) after the journalist’s detention.
On October 18, authorities in Kazan, the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, detained Alsu Kurmasheva, accusing her of failing to register as a “foreign agent.” The journalist who works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Tatar-Bashkir Service holds both US and Russian citizenship.
In a closed court session on October 23, Kurmasheva was ordered to remain in detention until at least December 5. Three days later, she was formally charged with violating Russia's "foreign agent" law under Article 330.1, Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code. The charge could lead to a maximum prison term of five years.
On October 31 the Supreme Court of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan denied an appeal filed by Kurmasheva against her pretrial detention. Her lawyer had requested pretrial restrictions for the journalist other than placement in detention. The journalist participated in the closed-door hearing via video link from a detention center in Kazan.
“Alsu's case is a precedent. It is the first criminal case for failure to report a foreign agent,” says Mariia Chashchilova, a lawyer with the Russian human rights organization OVD-info. “The charge is unfounded because Alsu is not listed in the register of foreign agents in her personal capacity.” Instead, Chashchilova believes Russian authorities are “taking Alsu hostage because of her American citizenship” with the goal of engaging her in a prisoner swap with the United States.
“Alsu’s case is a precedent. It is the first criminal case for failure to report a foreign agent”
Russia’s Investigative Committee says Kurmasheva is facing charges connected to the registration of foreign agents engaged in the deliberate collection of information related to Russia's military and military-technical activities. According to the Committee, Kurmasheva is alleged to have failed to submit the required documentation for registration. The journalist firmly denies these allegations.
On December 12, 2023, Russian authorities opened a new criminal investigation into detained Kurmasheva. The RFE/RL editor is facing new accusations of disseminating "fake" news about Russia's armed forces. If convicted, she could serve up to 15 years behind bars.
Her employer, RFE/RL, an independent news organization affiliated with the U.S. Agency for Global Media, is deeply concerned by her detention.
"Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children," RFE/RL acting president Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin said. "She needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately."
Krumasheva lives in Prague but traveled to Russia in May due to a family emergency. She was temporarily detained while waiting for her return flight at Kazan Airport on June 2. Her U.S. and Russian passports were confiscated during this incident, preventing her from leaving Russia.
Initially, she was fined for not registering her U.S. passport with Russian authorities. Kurmasheva was still awaiting the return of her passports when the new charge was brought against her on October 18. She is currently being held in a temporary detention center, with plans for a potential transfer to pre-trial detention.
The RFE/RL editor is known for her coverage of ethnic minorities in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Kurmasheva’s work has focused on preserving the Tatar language in the face of increased pressure from Russian authorities in recent years.
“Her distinct voice is familiar to Tatars and Bashkirs both inside Russia and around the world,” explains Rim Gilfanov, director of RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir. “For years, they tuned into her broadcasts in their cars, at the kitchen table, and with their families.”
“ Alsu has devoted her career to reporting on cultural and human rights issues affecting Tatars and other ethnic minorities in Russia,” adds Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin. “Even now, she is teaching Tatar to her cellmates. This is how dedicated she is to preserving the language and heritage of her people.”
This incident marks the second instance of a U.S. journalist being detained in Russia this year. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has been behind bars since March on spying allegations. Other international correspondents reporting from Russia have encountered problems renewing their accreditation, forcing them to leave the country.
Although never a bastion for press freedom under the leadership of Putin, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin’s crackdown on independent media has escalated to the extreme. The government introduced military censorship laws in 2022 that have effectively destroyed independent media outlets inside Russia.
Siberian journalist Maria Ponomarenko is serving a six-year prison sentence under horrendous conditions for posting about civilian casualties caused by Russian forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Instagram. Numerous other women journalists have been sentenced in absentia, including Marina Ovsyannikova and Veronika Belotserkovskaya.
To flee persecution, many Russian journalists moved to European countries and continue to report in exile. Not content with controlling the media within its own borders, a litany of attacks on Russian women journalists living abroad show that Putin’s government is determined to muzzle all Russian voices of dissent, no matter where they are located.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom is deeply concerned by Alsu Kurmasheva’s detention. The Kremlin continues to target journalists with absurd charges for simply doing their jobs. By detaining another U.S. journalist, they are trying to send the message that no media worker is safe in Russia. We condemn this sentencing and call on the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to push Kremlin authorities to release Kurmasheva.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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