The husband of Alsa Kurmaseva, a Radio Free Europe (RSE) journalist detained in Russia, appealed to the US authorities, the European Union and human rights organizations to advocate for her release.
On Friday, the Russian authorities extended Kurmasheva's detention until February 5, 2024, where she has been held since her arrest on October 18, 2023. The journalist of the Tatar-Bashkir service of RSE, who has American and Russian citizenship, traveled to Russia for family reasons. She was accused of not registering as a foreign agent, which in Russia is a criminal offense with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
"I appreciate all the attention that the American authorities, the State Department, have focused on Alsu's case. She is being detained illegally and there is no doubt that the reason for this is her American citizenship. Her engagement at Radio Free Europe - media whose work is funded by the Congress of the United States of America and American taxpayers," said Pavel Butorin in an interview with the Russian Voice of America service in Washington.
As he points out, his wife's case should be defined as unfounded detention because, as he says, she meets almost all the criteria for it.
"I believe that such a move would make available additional resources of the American authorities, but also oblige them to enable her release. This would help us to increase the awareness and visibility of her case," said Butorin - editor of the television program "Our Time" (Current time). in Russian.
VOA: How can she best be helped at this time?
"Letters. That's what helps her the most at the moment. She greatly appreciates the support she's received. Complete strangers also write to her and share their life stories with her, sometimes even movie plots. It helps a lot. In the field of diplomacy, greater involvement of the American authorities and others is needed parties, such as the European Union and human rights organizations. We greatly appreciate the clear announcements and statements from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the US National Press Club, as well as the United Nations human rights body. But more is needed - to talk about it as much as possible. For our family, this is much more than a media story - it's part of our lives. We want Alsu's case to be talked about as much as possible."
Voice of America: Do you know what the conditions are like in the prison he is in?
"Communication with her is censored. We cannot be sure that she is getting the treatment she deserves. We know that she is cold in her prison cell. Sometimes the cell is overcrowded. She is currently in pre-trial detention - in a Russian prison. She sends us letters that are optimistic . But that doesn't fool us - because we're aware that he's in a prison system known for mistreating political prisoners. He shouldn't be in that prison."
Voice of America: She was released shortly after her arrest in June. She was then arrested again. Why was such a scenario needed?
"I don't know for sure, but I can guess that they were trying to build a stronger case against her. She was taken into custody and charged with failure to declare that she was an American citizen - which is now considered a crime in Russia. The case dragged on for several months. In October was sentenced to pay a small fine. However, before she settled - they came for her and arrested her. The new charge was that she had not registered as a foreign agent. It is an absurd charge which she denies."
VOA: Why do you think that particular moment was chosen for her re-arrest?
"I have no communication with them and her case is unavailable to me. I can only speculate that she was arrested because she is an American citizen. She traveled to Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022. She left and returned without problems. It is possible that they had insight into her journalistic work, as well as the reporting of her colleagues from Radio Free Europe. However, I do not know the details of the case, except for the charges against her."
VOA: Your wife was arrested while her lawyer was on vacation. Can you describe that situation?
"That case was related to her passport. The lawyer had a pre-planned vacation in early October. And then it just happened. He was on vacation when she was arrested. Another case, related to allegations that a foreign agent just happened to be had been in the works for some time. Or maybe it wasn't a coincidence. She was arrested while her lawyer was away. She was picked up at her mother's apartment by masked men posing as police officers. Then a video was released to the public the footage of the arrest and escort to the station. The first page of her American passport was also made public, and part of our private communication was also leaked."
Voice of America: Is her reporting on the position of minorities, culture and language use - related to her case?
"The details of her case are unavailable to me. But it is very likely that her reports on the plight of minorities in Russia played a role in it."
Voice of America: Did she advocate for the preservation of the Tatar language and culture?
"Primarily, she's a journalist - not necessarily an activist. She's a big advocate of preserving Tatar culture and language. I don't know anyone who's as passionate about it as she is. She's been spreading awareness and information about Tatar culture. She's been an active participant in Tatar religious holidays - and she is a member of the Tatar Women's Organization. That is why I am disheartened that she is behind bars in her native Tatarstan."
Voice of America: Is there a reaction in Muslim countries?
"I haven't seen much. I honestly wish there were more of them, as well as diplomatic engagement from Muslim countries. Especially Turkey - considering her Turkish origins. She speaks Turkish fluently, she even taught it at one time. She is connected to that country. Loved Bih if there was more Turkish engagement, but also other countries - given that she identifies as a Muslim".
Voice of America: Many journalists in Russia are currently exposed to repression. What makes your wife's case unique?
"It's no secret that objective and independent reporting in Russia has become an endangered profession. This is especially true for American journalists working on the territory of Russia. I am convinced that Alsu was a target because she is an American citizen. She is also a journalist for Radio Free Europe. That is exactly why she was detained She had the courage to report on what is happening in Russia, on the situation of ethnic minorities. The detention she is in is unfair and she should be released as soon as possible."
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