Update (01/12/2023):

A Russian court on 1st December extended the pre-trial detention of US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until 5 February.

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On 18 October, Prague-based journalist Alsu Kurmasheva working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was detained by Kazan Authorities on charges of ‘failing to register herself as a foreign agent’. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) strongly condemn the detention of an innocent journalist and demand Russian authorities release her immediately.

The Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who lives in Prague, Czech Republic’s capital, arrived in Russia on 20 May for a family emergency. On her way back to Prague, she was temporarily held at Kazan airport on 2 June, and both her US and Russian passports were confiscated.

Russian authorities fined her for failing to register her American passport, an offence that leads up to 5 years in prison. On 20 October, Kurmasheva’s custody was extended by 72 hours and her pre-trial detention was also extended on October 23 until 5 December.

She is the second US journalist to be held by Russia this year together with Evan Gershkovich. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty pressroom has called for the journalist’s immediate release on Twitter.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “The arrest of Alsu Kurmasheva represents another stifling attempt to suppress independent journalists in Russia. We demand Kurmasheva’s immediate release.”