A court in Kazan extended the arrest period for journalist and editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva for another two months - until April 5. She is accused of failing to provide documents to the Ministry of Justice for inclusion in the register of “foreign agents.” Previously, a journalist who published about the problems of ethnic minorities in the Russian Federation was recognized as a political prisoner.

Alsou Kurmasheva was detained on October 18, 2023. She is suspected under Part 3 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Failure to fulfill the obligation to submit documents required for inclusion in the register of foreign agents”).

According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Kurmasheva had to provide documents to be included in the register of foreign agents. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation did not do this on its own initiative. This is the first criminal case in Russia under this article brought against a journalist. The latter does not admit guilt.

Alsou Kurmasheva lives with her family in Prague. Before that, she lived and worked in Kazan, where she came for family reasons. The journalist has US and Russian citizenship.

“Russia bears ultimate responsibility for Alsou’s fate. She must be released and returned to her family,” Stephen Capus, president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, commented on the situation.