Russian court extends detention of US journalist Kurmasheva until April
Al Jazeera
Russian-American journalist is accused of failing to register as a ‘foreign agent’ and spreading ‘false information’.
A court in Russia has extended the pre-trial detention of Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who has been in custody since October.
On Thursday, the court in the city of Kazan ruled that Kurmasheva must stay behind bars until April 5.
The Prague-based editor has been charged with failing to register as a “foreign agent” and spreading “false information” about Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, said her employer, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Funded by the United States Congress, RFE/RL is designated by Russia as a foreign agent, a charge levelled on the basis that it receives foreign funding for activity deemed to be political.
RFE/RL has reported that Kurmasheva could face a maximum combined sentence of 15 years in prison as it has called her detention unjust and politically motivated.
