#FreeAlsu: RSF launches petition urging U.S. to designate journalist Alsu Kurmasheva as “wrongfully detained”
Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reporter Alsu Kurmasheva has been held in Russia since October 18, 2023. A dual American-Russian citizen, Kurmasheva was arrested for failing to register as a foreign agent while on a trip to visit her mother. But her targeting was undoubtedly the result of her journalism. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched an urgent petition calling on the U.S. State Department to designate Kurmasheva as “wrongfully detained,” which could marshal the full government resources to secure her release.
UPDATE: On July 19, following a speedy secret trial, Alsu Kurmasheva was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for disseminating “false information” about the Russian army. Her conviction took place the same day that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison on “espionage” charges; however, the news of Kurmasheva’s sentencing was inexplicably not disclosed until July 22. These worrying developments have heightened the urgent need for increased US governmental efforts for Kurmasheva’s release.
“We are extremely worried for Alsu Kurmasheva, who has been arbitrarily detained in Russia for more than nine months. As the Kremlin continues its unacceptable practices of taking foreign journalists hostage, it’s time for the U.S. government to step up and advocate clearly and consistently for its own citizens. Kurmasheva has been targeted as an American journalist, and deserves the full support of her government. We call on the State Department to immediately designate her as ‘wrongfully detained’ and redouble its efforts to bring Kurmasheva home without further delay.
Alsu Kurmasheva’s detention exemplifies the Kremlin’s recent pattern of taking international journalists hostage, in parallel to the relentless crackdown on domestic media. If convicted for the crimes she is accused of, Kurmasheva could spend up to 15 years in prison.
The Russian government has denied Kurmasheva’s formal requests to speak to her husband and daughters for over nine months.
“We need this case to be elevated to a higher level so that Alsu feels the support of the government and so that my children — future voters — also understand that they have the government’s support. While we understand that the designation alone will not bring her back, leveraging the full force of the U.S. government is an essential step forward to bringing Alsu home.
RSF worries about Kurmasheva’s worsening health and heightened chance of receiving a guilty verdict, and a lengthy prison sentence, if her security is not affirmed as a U.S. priority.
In contrast, the U.S. State Department designated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” just days after his arrest on a spying charge in March 2023. Gershkovich is currently on trial for espionage and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Russia is ranked 162 out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
