U.S. Journalist Detained in Russia: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Employee Arrested on Alleged Failure to Register as Foreign Agent
In a concerning development, a U.S. journalist has been detained in Russia, marking the second such case since the war in Ukraine began. The journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, is a dual Russian American reporter working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). She was reportedly detained in the southwestern Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday while awaiting the return of her passports, according to a statement from her employer.
RFE/RL revealed that Kurmasheva, based in Prague, has been charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. This designation is mandatory in Russia for organizations or individuals perceived as receiving foreign funding. Regrettably, the foreign agent registration law has been utilized to target journalists and individuals who criticize the Kremlin.
If found guilty, Kurmasheva could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. RFE/RL, a U.S. government-funded media company, expressed concern over the arrest. Notably, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich faced a similar situation in March when he was arrested on espionage charges. Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Kurmasheva, who works with RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir Service, had traveled to Russia for a family emergency in May. While waiting for her return flight on June 2 at Kazan airport, her U.S. and Russian passports were confiscated, preventing her from leaving Russia since then.
RFE/RL has called for the immediate release of Kurmasheva. However, the Russian news outlet Tatar-Inform reported that Russian authorities accused her of collecting military information about Russian activities via the internet and transmitting it to foreign sources. NBC News has been unable to verify this claim.
The White House has not yet provided a response to Kurmasheva’s detention. NBC News has reached out to Russia’s foreign ministry and the U.S. embassy in Moscow for comment. The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about Kurmasheva’s detention, considering the charges against her spurious, and has joined calls for her immediate release.
Gershkovich, still awaiting trial, had multiple appeals declined. Both Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal have denied all charges, and the U.S. government has deemed his detention “wrongful.”
It is worth noting that since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, reporting in the country has become increasingly perilous for domestic and foreign journalists. This has led several news organizations to disband and countless journalists to leave the country.
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