Russian-American Journalist Detained in Russia for Failing to Register as a Foreign Agent

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty editor Alsu Kurmasheva is the second US journalist to be detained in Russia this year.

A Russian-American journalist working for a US government-funded media company has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent,” her employer said Thursday. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty editor Alsu Kurmasheva is the second US journalist to be detained in Russia this year. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested for alleged spying in March.

Kurmasheva's Detention

Kurmasheva, an editor with RFE/RLs Tatar-Bashkir service, is being held in a temporary detention center, said Tatar-Inform, a state-held news agency in the Tatarstan republic. Kurmasheva was stopped at Kazan International Airport on June 2 after travelling to Russia for a family emergency on May 20, according to RFE/RL. Officials at the airport confiscated Kurmashevas US and Russian passports and she was fined for failing to register her US passport with Russian authorities. She was waiting for her passports to be returned when the new charge was filed on Wednesday, RFE/RL said.

Charges Against Kurmasheva

Tatar-Inform said that authorities accused Kurmasheva of collecting information about Russias military activities "in order to transmit information to foreign sources,” suggesting that she received information about university teachers who were mobilized into the Russian army. It said she faces charges of failing to register as a "foreign agent” in her capacity as a person collecting information on Russian military activities. and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

Reactions to Kurmasheva's Detention

The Committee to Protect Journalists media rights organisation called the accusations "spurious,” demanding that the charges be dropped and Kurmasheva released. RFE/RL head Jeffrey Gedmin said, "Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children. She needs to be released, so she can return to her family immediately.” The US Embassy in Moscow said it was aware of the reports of Kurmashevas arrest and stated that the safety and security of US citizens overseas is a top priority.

Kurmasheva's Work and RFE/RL's Challenges

Kurmasheva reported on ethnic minority communities in the Tatarstan and Bashkortostan republics in Russia, including projects to protect and preserve the Tatar language and culture despite "increased pressure” on Tatars from Russian authorities. RFE/RL was told to register by Russian authorities as a foreign agent in 2017. It has brought a case at the European Court of Human Rights challenging Russias use of foreign agent laws that resulted in the organisation being fined millions of dollars.

Kurmasheva's Case Compared to Other Detained Americans

Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after US-Russia tensions soared when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. At least two US citizens arrested in Russia in recent years — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the US. However, experts believe that Kurmashevas case is quite different from that of Gershkovic, the Wall Street Journal reporter, even though she holds US citizenship. She was attacked because she is a Russian journalist working for a foreign media outlet that has been labeled a foreign agent by Russian authorities.

The detention of Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has raised concerns about press freedom and the targeting of journalists in Russia. The charges against her of failing to register as a "foreign agent” are seen as spurious, and her employer and human rights organizations have called for her immediate release. Kurmasheva's case highlights the challenges faced by journalists in Russia, particularly those working for foreign media outlets, and the use of restrictive laws to stifle independent reporting.