The Sovetsky District Court of Kazan extended the detention of journalist and editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva until June 5. She is accused of failing to provide documents to the Ministry of Justice to include her in the register of “foreign agents.” The journalist who previously published materials about the problems of ethnic minorities in the Russian Federation was recognized as a political prisoner.

Alsou Kurmasheva complained about deteriorating health and poor living conditions in the pre-trial detention center. According to her, there is no hot water in the small cell, there is a hole in the floor instead of a toilet, and the walls are shabby.

The journalist was detained on October 18, 2023 and charged 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 under this article in Russia brought against a journalist. Kurmasheva does not admit her 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,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Stephen Capus previously commented.