A second US journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, has been detained in Russia and is facing accusations of failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information online. If found guilty, she could be sentenced to up to five years in jail. The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned her arrest and highlighted the crackdown on independent journalism in Russia, which intensified after the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Kurmasheva, who works for US government-funded outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was first detained in Russia’s Tatarstan republic during the summer.
Kurmasheva’s detention follows the arrest of another US journalist, Evan Gershkovich, in March on espionage charges. He has spent more than six months in pre-trial detention in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. Russian authorities have confiscated Kurmasheva’s passports, preventing her from leaving the country. On October 18, a new charge of failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information on Russian military activities was announced. The journalist was initially in Russia due to a family emergency but is now facing potential imprisonment.
According to reports, Kurmasheva was accused of deliberately collecting military information about Russian activities and transmitting it to foreign sources. She is allegedly involved in preparing “alternative analytical materials” discrediting Russia and has reported on initiatives to protect and preserve the Tatar language and culture. Jeffrey Gedmin, RFE/RL’s acting president, calls for her immediate release so she can return to her family. The arrest of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich are indicative of the Russian government’s efforts to suppress independent journalism and tighten control over media.