Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison by a Russian court for spreading “false information” about the Russian army. Despite denying any wrongdoing during the trial, Kurmasheva was found guilty and sentenced behind closed doors.
Working in the media outlet’s Tatar-language service based in Prague, Kurmasheva occasionally traveled to Russia to visit her relatives. Her troubles began when she was detained for failing to notify authorities about her dual citizenship. Subsequently, she was charged with being a “foreign agent” and later accused of spreading false information about the Russian military under Article 207 of the Russian Criminal Code.
The prosecution claimed that her book, ‘No to War,’ containing interviews with Russians opposing the invasion of Ukraine, contained false information. RFE/RL President Stephen Capus criticized the trial, calling for Kurmasheva’s release, while the US State Department condemned her targeting for truthful reporting. RFE/RL, funded by the US government, has faced multiple bans in Russia since 2022 due to alleged dissemination of false information.
Amidst escalating tensions, the EU has also taken steps to ban Russian news outlets for spreading disinformation. The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by journalists in delivering objective news in restricted environments.