Detained Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva facing new charges, investigated for ‘fakes’ against the Russian army for 2022 book
Russian law enforcement agencies have opened another case against journalist and dual U.S.-Russian citizen Alsu Kurmasheva, who was arrested in Kazan, Russia in October on charges of failing to voluntarily register as a “foreign agent,” reports the Telegram channel Baza.
Authorities are now investigating Kurmasheva for her 2022 book “No to War” which features the stories of 40 Russians opposed to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They are pursuing charges under the law against “fakes” about the Russian army. If convicted, Kurmasheva could face up to 15 years in prison.
Alsu Kurmasheva is an editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Tatar-Bashkir Service and lives in Prague with her husband and children. In May 2023, she traveled to Russia for a family emergency, according to RFE/RL. On June 2, she was detained at the Kazan airport while trying to leave the country. The authorities confiscated both her Russian and American passports before issuing her a fine for not notifying the Russian government of her dual citizenship. While waiting for her passports to be returned, Kurmasheva was arrested.
Kurmasheva has been in a pre-trial detention center since the end of October on the “foreign agent” charges.
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