Prosecutors to ask Russian court to place Radio Free Europe journalist in custody

MOSCOW, Russia – Russian prosecutors will ask a judge at a court hearing on Friday, October 20, to place detained Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist Alsu Kurmasheva in custody, the court’s press service reported.

Alsu Kurmasheva, who works for RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir Service and holds US and Russian passports, is accused of failing to register as a foreign agent after she entered Russia on May 20, her employer said on Thursday, October 19.

Kurmasheva was temporarily detained by Russian security forces as she waited for her return flight on June 2.

Her passports were confiscated at Russia’s Kazan Airport and she was fined for failure to register her US passport with Russian authorities.

According to court documents, she was fined 10,000 roubles ($103.26) on October 11.

On October 18, she was charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. She could face up to five years in prison, according to RFE/RL.

Russia has not commented on the arrest.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Jeffrey Gedmin said Kurmasheva is a “highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children” and needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately. – Rappler.com

($1 = 96.8475 roubles)