American journalist detained and charged in Russia
A U.S. journalist has been detained in Russia, her employer said, the second such case since the war in Ukraine started.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual Russian American reporter with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was detained in the southwest Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday while awaiting the return of her passports, her employer said Thursday in a statement.
RFE/RL said Kurmasheva, who is based in Prague, has been charged with failure to register as a foreign agent, a designation Russia requires of any organizations or individuals that it perceives as receiving foreign funding. It has been used to target journalists and people who speak out against the Kremlin.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, said RFE/RL, which is a U.S. government-funded media company. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges in March and faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. [Continue reading…]