Arrests of Americans are increasingly common in Russia, with nine U.S. citizens known to be detained there as tensions between the two countries have escalated over fighting in Ukraine.
File photo: Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service, attends a court hearing in Kazan, Russia on April 1, 2024.A court has convicted Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, of spreading false information about the Russian army and sentenced her to 6½ years in prison after a secret trial, court records and officials said Monday.
Asked about the case, RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus denounced the trial and conviction of Kurmasheva as “a mockery of justice.” Later, she was also charged with spreading “false information” about the Russian military under legislation that effectively criminalized any public expression about the war in Ukraine that deviates from the Kremlin line. The legislation was adopted in March 2022, just days after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine, and has since been used to target Kremlin critics at home and abroad, implicating scores of people in criminal cases and sending dozens to prison.
It called for Kurmasheva’s immediate release and said the purpose of the sentence was to dissuade journalists from traveling to Russia and put pressure on the United States. He has been behind bars since his arrest, time that will be counted as part of his sentence. Most of that was in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison — a czarist-era lockup used during Josef Stalin’s purges, when executions were carried out in its basement. He was transferred to Yekaterinburg for the trial.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Who are some of the Americans behind bars in Russia, and what are the prospects for their release?Arrests of Americans in Russia have become increasingly common with relations sinking to Cold War lows.
Read more »
Who are some of the Americans detained in Russia? What to know about their cases and release prospectsArrests of Americans in Russia have become increasingly common with relations sinking to Cold War lows.
Read more »
More Americans are ending up in Russian jailsWhile high-profile prisoner exchanges have occurred, the prospects of swaps are unclear.
Read more »
US tells Russian minister Putin should release detained Americans including Gershkovich and WhelanUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations told Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin should release
Read more »
US tells Russian minister Putin should release detained Americans including Gershkovich and WhelanThe U.S. Ambassador told Russia’s foreign minister that President Vladimir Putin should release detained Americans, singling out journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Read more »
US tells Russian minister Putin should release detained Americans including Gershkovich and WhelanThe U.S. Ambassador told Russia’s foreign minister that President Vladimir Putin should release detained Americans, singling out journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Read more »