Alsu Kurmasheva, editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Free Europe, detained in Tatarstan, Russia

Alsu Kurmasheva, the editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was detained in Tatarstan for allegedly failing to register as a foreign agent.

This was reported by the Radio Liberty project Idel.Realii.

At the same time, it is noted that the Russian Ministry of Justice "did not include the journalist in the register on its own initiative".

Investigators in Russia believe that Kurmasheva allegedly received data on mobilised teachers in September 2022 to pass it on to "relevant international bodies and conduct information campaigns discrediting Russia".

The journalist is currently in a temporary detention centre. A preventive measure is to be imposed on her.

Alsu Kurmasheva has dual citizenship of Russia and the United States. She lives in the Czech Republic. She came to Russia "for family reasons". The journalist covers the protection of the Tatar language against the backdrop of increasing pressure from the Russian authorities on indigenous peoples in Russia.