A Russian court on Tuesday denied an appeal by Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva against her pre-trial detention on charges of failing to register as a "foreign agent."
Kurmasheva is the second U.S. journalist to be arrested in Russia this year after Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in March for "spying" — a charge that both he and his employer deny.
"[Kurmasheva] and her lawyer asked to change the measure of restraint from detention to house arrest. The court disallowed the appeal," a representative from the Supreme Court of Tatarstan, where the journalist is being held, told the Interfax news agency.
Kurmasheva, who works for the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) media outlet, was detained by Russian law enforcement in the central city of Kazan earlier in October.
A court last week ruled to keep her in pre-trial detention until at least Dec. 5 on charges of failing to register as a "foreign agent," which carries a potential five-year prison sentence.
Her employer has called for her immediate release.
Rights groups have warned that Kurmasheva's detention marks a new threshold in Russia's crackdown on independent media, which has intensified dramatically since Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
