Washington — Russian authorities have added fresh charges in the case of an RFE/RL journalist held in custody since October.
Authorities now accuse Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national, of spreading false news about the Russian military, Kremlin-backed media reported Tuesday.
Kurmasheva, a Prague-based editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir Service, is already facing charges that she failed to register as a “foreign agent.” She and her network reject the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
If convicted of spreading false news, Kurmasheva could face an additional 10 years in prison, according to the state-controlled Tatar-Inform news agency in Russia’s Tatarstan region and the Baza Telegram channel.
“We strongly condemn Russian authorities’ apparent decision to bring additional charges against Alsu,” RFE/RL acting President Jeffrey Gedmin said in a statement.
RFE/RL, like VOA, is an independent media outlet funded by the U.S. Congress.
The fake news charge is related to a book published by the RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Service in 2022 about Russians who oppose the invasion of Ukraine. Kurmasheva engaged in the book’s distribution, according to investigators.
“Journalism is not a crime. It is time for this cruel persecution to end. Alsu has already spent 56 days unjustly detained and separated from her family,” Gedmin said.
Press freedom groups have criticized the latest legal action.
“The new charges against Alsu Kurmasheva lay bare the Kremlin’s true motivation for targeting her: the criminalization of independent journalism,” Clayton Weimers, executive director of the Reporters Without Borders U.S. office, said in a statement.
“It has never been more clear that Alsu is wrongfully detained, and the U.S. State Department should designate her as such immediately,” Weimers added.
Press freedom groups, RFE/RL and various U.S. lawmakers have urged the State Department to declare Kurmasheva wrongfully detained, which would open up additional resources to help secure her release.
Evan Gershkovich, the American Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in Russia, has been declared wrongfully detained by the U.S.
Detained in March, Gershkovich is charged with espionage. He, his employer and the U.S. government deny the charges against him.
A State Department spokesperson previously told VOA that it “continuously reviews the circumstances surrounding the detentions of U.S. nationals overseas, including those in Russia, for indicators that they are wrongful.”
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to VOA’s email requesting comment.
Based in Prague, Kurmasheva traveled to Russia in May for a family emergency. Her passports were confiscated when she tried to leave the country in June, and she was waiting for her passports to be returned when she was detained in October.
The Supreme Court of Tatarstan on Tuesday confirmed that Kurmasheva’s pretrial detention will be extended until at least February 4.
On Sunday, activists in Kazan, Tatarstan, protested the Kremlin’s crackdown on independent journalists, including Kurmasheva, RFE/RL reported.
“Alsu Kurmasheva is a journalist, not a criminal,” one placard said.
