In a closed session at a court in Kazan, the capital of the Tatarstan republic, Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service, was ordered to remain in custody until December 5th. The court dismissed her lawyer’s request for alternative preventive measures, and she now faces charges of failing to register as a “foreign agent” and allegedly collecting information on Russian military activities, which could lead to a five-year prison sentence.
Kurmasheva, who resides in Prague, was detained at Kazan International Airport on June 2nd, where her U.S. and Russian passports were confiscated. She had initially been fined for not registering her U.S. passport. The charges against her have been labeled as “spurious” by the Committee to Protect Journalists, who believe her detention is part of Russia’s ongoing efforts to suppress independent reporting.
The case bears resemblance to the earlier arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been in custody since March on espionage charges. Despite the denial of allegations by both Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal, Russian authorities have not disclosed any concrete evidence to substantiate the charges against either journalist.
