Russia Extends Detention of American-Russian Dual National Journalist

A court in Russia has ordered that Alsu Kormashova, an American-Russian journalist detained in the country, remain in custody at least until August 6. Many view this action as another step towards the Kremlin's suppression of dissent and freedom of expression. Alsu Kormashova, editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was arrested on October 18, 2023. She was initially charged with failing to register as a 'foreign agent' while gathering information about the Russian military, and then for disseminating 'false information' about the military. The term 'foreign agent' is used in Russia for organizations, journalists, human rights activists, and even figures in arts and entertainment, subjecting them to close scrutiny. The Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Liberty regularly covers the war in Ukraine and the suppression of civil society by Russian authorities. According to 'OVD-Info', a Russian legal group that tracks political detentions, a court in Tatarstan ordered on June 1 that Kormashova remain in prison at least until August 6. According to Radio Liberty, Kormashova, a dual citizen living in Prague with her husband and two daughters, could face up to ten years in prison if convicted. Russian authorities have intensified the crackdown on critics and independent journalists following their military invasion of Ukraine, citing laws that effectively criminalize any public expression regarding the conflict that deviates from the Kremlin's narrative. Kormashova was initially stopped while exiting Kazan International Airport after visiting her sick mother in Russia, where her American and Russian passports were confiscated. She was fined at that time for not registering her American passport. While waiting for her documents to be returned, she was arrested on other charges. Radio Liberty has called for her release. Kormashova is the second American journalist to be detained in Russia in the past year. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was also arrested while traveling to Yekaterinburg, about two thousand kilometers east of Moscow, on charges of 'espionage' and remains in custody. Analysts believe that following heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is using imprisoned American citizens as leverage in negotiations with Washington. Source: Associated Press. The President of the United States has called for the release of all imprisoned journalists worldwide on World Press Freedom Day.