A Russian court has sentenced US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to six and a half years in prison for allegedly reporting false news about the army. The case has drawn international attention to the restrictions on press freedom in Russia.
In a further case against international reporters, a Russian court has sentenced the US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to six and a half years in prison. She is accused of publishing false reports about the Russian army. Kurmasheva works for the US foreign broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which is financed by the USA.
Kurmasheva, who normally lives in Prague, traveled to Russia on May 20, 2023, due to a family emergency. When she was waiting at Kazan airport on June 2, 2023, after returning to Prague, her passports were confiscated. The reason for the prosecution was a book she had published in November 2022. The book, titled No to War: 40 Stories of Russians Resisting the Invasion of Ukraine, was cited by the Russian opposition platform Meduza as the trigger for the conviction.
Stephen Capus, Managing Director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has sharply criticized the decision and is calling for Kurmasheva’s immediate release. Radio Free Europe was founded in 1950 and has been based in Prague since 1995. The organization provides news programs in over two dozen languages for Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
