A court in Kazan, Russia announced on Monday that Alsu Kormashova, a dual Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison on charges of 'spreading false information.' A court spokesperson stated that Ms. Kormashova's sentence was issued on Friday. On the same day, a court in Yekaterinburg, Russia sentenced Ivan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to 16 years in prison on fabricated 'espionage' charges. Steven Kaplan, the president and director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, called the trial and sentence against Ms. Kormashova a 'mockery of justice' and demanded her immediate release by her 'captors' in Russia. Alsu Kormashova, 47, residing in Prague, has been detained since October 18 of last year while visiting family in Tatarstan. She was also briefly detained in January 2023, and her passport was confiscated. In addition to Gershkovich and Kormashova, several other American citizens are being held in Russian detention facilities on baseless charges. Russia has sentenced an American journalist to eight years in absentia for 'criticizing the army.' A Russian court sentenced an American citizen to over 12 years in prison on drug trafficking charges. UN experts have described the imprisonment of the Wall Street Journal journalist by Russia as a 'violation of international law.' The trial of the detained American journalist in Russia began 'behind closed doors.'
A Court in Russia Sentences Radio Free Europe Journalist to Six and a Half Years in Prison
Alsu Kormashova, a dual Russian-American journalist, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in Russia for 'spreading false information.' This ruling comes amid a broader crackdown on journalists, including the sentencing of Ivan Gershkovich to 16 years for espionage. The situation highlights the increasing repression of press freedom in Russia.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Russian court sentenced journalist Alsu Kormashova to six and a half years for spreading false information.
- Russian court indict Alsu Kormashova
- Russian court indict Ivan Gershkovich
- Steven Kaplan demand Russian authorities
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The sentencing of Kormashova highlights the increasing repression of dissent in Russia.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%