Russia detains another U.S. journalist

Russian authorities detained editor Alsu Kurmasheva on Wednesday and charged her with failing to register as a foreign agent. Kurmasheva has held dual citizenship in Russia and the United States while living in Prague, according to her employer. Kurmasheva traveled to Russia in May for a family emergency. Authorities confiscated her American and Russian passports when she attempted to travel home to Prague in June. Kurmasheva is an editor at the United States-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and faces up to five years in prison. The Committee to Protect Journalists and the UN Human Rights Office are calling for Kurmasheva’s immediate release.

Why is Russia detaining American journalists? Russian authorities arrested American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges in March. Kurmasheva is seemingly also being held for similar allegations, as the Russian State news agency Tartar-Inform said she “conducted a targeted collection of military information” last year. Russia has passed laws over the previous year stifling independent TV, radio, and online news channels, reportedly prompting many journalists to flee.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on Russian censoring and silencing citizens.