Russia arrests the American journalist of Radio Free Europe

2023-10-19 17:46:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russia arrests the American journalist of Radio Free Europe

Journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva

Russia arrested a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist on Wednesday, the second case this year that an American journalist has been arrested.

Alsu Kurmasheva, who has American and Russian citizenship, editor of Radio Evropa e Lire, is accused of not registering as a "foreign agent".

The journalist, who went to Russia in May for a family emergency, was briefly detained in June at an airport and had her passports confiscated.

She was arrested on Wednesday and could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

Russia included Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which is funded by the US Congress, on its list of foreign agents in 2020.

Under Russian law, individuals and organizations that receive funding from abroad are labeled as foreign agents, a derogatory term intended to diminish their credibility among the Russian public.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has refused to comply with this law, saying it would interfere with editorial processes and limit the network's ability to carry out its mission.

Journalist Kurmasheva "must be released immediately and returned to her family," Radio Free Europe, which like VOA is part of the United States' Global Media Agency, said in a statement.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also condemned the ban.

"CPJ is deeply troubled by the detention of Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva on trumped-up criminal charges and calls on the Russian authorities to immediately release her and drop all charges against her," Gulnoza Said, who covers Russia, said in a statement. for the organization.

"Journalism is not a crime and the detention of Kurmasheva is further proof that Russia is determined to suffocate independent journalism," Ms Said added.

The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to VOA's email for comment on the incident.

Ms. Kurmasheva is the second American journalist to be arrested by Russia.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been in custody in Moscow since March. The US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, met with Mr Gershkovich on Tuesday, a week after a court rejected the latest appeal for his release.

The US Embassy said in a statement that Mr Gershkovich "remains in good spirits despite his difficult circumstances" and said the US continues to call for his release./ VOA