Alsu is a dual American-Russian citizen and editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She’s being held in Russia under politically motivated charges. Alsu was arrested on October 18, 2023, while in Russia caring for her mother. She has been charged with allegedly failing to register as a foreign agent and accused of spreading false information about the Russian military. She faces up to 20 years in prison.
Despite President Biden’s calls for her release on April 27 and May 3, 2024, Secretary of State Blinken has not yet designated her case as a “wrongful detention.” Without that official designation, Alsu’s family is unable to access the services of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs for assistance in her release.
Alsu’s health is deteriorating and contact with her family and U.S. government officials is severely limited.
Alsu Kurmasheva is an accomplished journalist who has long covered cultural and human rights issues affecting ethnic minority communities in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan in the Volga-Ural region of Russia. She has reported on initiatives to protect and preserve the Tatar language and culture from Russian authorities, who have exerted increased pressure on Tatars to assimilate in recent years.Kurmasheva has also reported extensively on gender issues and domestic violence – work that is increasingly stigmatized and criminalized by the Russian government.
Kurmasheva is an American citizen by choice. Her admiration for American values like freedom of expression, rule of law, and respect for diversity led her to become a naturalized United States citizen. These same values drive her journalistic work.
According to the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents held by a foreign government may be designated by the Secretary of State as wrongfully detained if certain criteria are met. This designation unlocks resources from the U.S. government to support the family of the detainee and helps to prioritize securing the captive’s freedom over other foreign policy matters.
Despite ongoing appeals from her family and press freedom and hostage advocacy organizations – including the Foley Foundation — Kurmasheva has not been designated as wrongfully detained. Complicating matters, the Russian government has refused to acknowledge Kurmasheva’s American citizenship, denying her U.S. consular access.
Kurmasheva’s unlawful detention underscores the mounting risks American journalists face when following their calling in many parts of the world. We join her family and many others in calling for her immediate release.
