(NationalUSNews.com) — As part of an ongoing effort by Russia’s government to punish international journalists, a Russian court recently convicted 47-year-old Alsu Kurmasheva, who worked as a journalist for Radio Free Europe. Russian officials accused Kurmasheva, who has citizenship status in Russia and the United States, of intentionally lying about Russia’s military during her reporting for Radio Free Europe. Kurmasheva’s conviction occurred on the same day as Evan Gershkovich’s conviction, which United States officials have claimed stemmed from political bias rather than genuine criminal activity. Kurmasheva and Gershkovich received prison sentences of six and half years and 16 years, respectively.
While Russian officials claim Kurmasheva intentionally lied about Russia’s military and its actions during the Russia-Ukraine war, they refused to share details about the allegations against Kurmasheva. Journalists affiliated with the Associated Press contacted a spokesperson for Russia’s criminal justice system, Natalya Loseva, to inquire about Kurmasheva’s recent conviction. Loseva confirmed that Russia had convicted Kurmasheva for spreading misinformation but refused to elaborate on what exactly Kurmasheva lied about, claiming that Kurmasheva’s case featured classified information.
Kurmasheva’s conviction resulted in international outrage, including anger from the CEO and President of Radio Free Europe, Stephen Capus. Capus expressed his outrage regarding Kurmasheva’s conviction through a public statement, criticizing Russian courts and calling for her immediate release. Capus referred to Russian officials as “captors” during his statement and said that Russian officials should release Kurmasheva so that she may return to her family in the United States.
While Capus seemed outraged over Kurmasheva’s conviction, he isn’t the only person who has called for her release from custody. According to a spokesperson from the United States Department of State, the United States has already contacted Russia’s government to demand Kurmasheva’s immediate release. The spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said that the Russian court convicted Kurmasheva for acting as a journalist, which Miller claimed wasn’t a crime and shouldn’t incur criminal punishment.
Kurmasheva has citizenship in the United States and Russia and lived in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, before her incarceration. Russian officials arrested Kurmasheva in October 2023, months after they prevented her from leaving the country, claiming that she acted as an agent for other countries and attempted to collect classified information about Russia’s military. Kurmasheva also faced charges for lying about Russia’s actions during the Russia-Ukraine war, although the exact details of her alleged lies remain unknown.
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