US-Russian Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva Faces Extended Pretrial Detention in Russia
A Russian court has extended the pretrial detention of US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to August, following charges of spreading false information about the army, potentially facing up to 10 years in prison. Kurmasheva, a journalist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL), was arrested last October. The preliminary detention was extended on August 5, according to Rumiya Mubarakzanova, a spokesperson for the Sovietsky district court in Kazan. The charges against Kurmasheva, including failing to register as a foreign agent and spreading false information about the army under a new censorship law, were reported by RFERL. The hearing did not address the substance of the case. The US embassy in Moscow expressed concern, with Deputy Spokesperson Daniel Kanigan stating Washington condemns the persecutions and emphasizes the right to freedom of the press. Kurmasheva's passports were confiscated after a travel emergency to Russia, where she was fined for failing to declare dual citizenship. Her editorial work includes a book titled 'Saying No to War,' which features anti-war sentiments towards Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Rights groups have criticized Russia's targeting of journalists, with Kurmasheva being the second US journalist detained in Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. Calls have been made for her release and house arrest pending trial.
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