A case was opened against journalist Alsou Kurmasheva for a book criticizing the SVO

In Tatarstan, investigators opened a third criminal case against the journalist of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and the Internet platform Idel.Realii (both publications are included in the register of foreign agents) Alsu Kurmasheva. This information was confirmed to Kommersant by her lawyer Rim Sabirov.

The case was opened by the regional department of the Investigative Committee on December 11 under Art. 270.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation). Point “d” of Part 2 of this article, which Alsou Kurmasheva is charged with, implies that she committed these acts “based on political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity.” The maximum penalty is ten years in prison.

According to Kommersant, the case is related to the release in November 2022 of the book “No to War” about residents of the Volga region who oppose the Russian special operation in Ukraine. Its editor was Alsou Kurmasheva. Rim Sabirov told Kommersant that Alsou Kurmasheva has familiarized herself with the decision to initiate a criminal case, but charges have not yet been brought against her.

Alsou Kurmasheva is a citizen of Russia and the United States; in recent years she has lived with her family in Prague. In May 2023, as reported by Radio Liberty (foreign agent), she came to the Russian Federation due to “urgent family needs.” On June 2, she was detained at Kazan airport, from where she intended to fly to the Czech Republic. Alsou Kurmasheva had both passports confiscated and then fined for failure to comply with the requirement to notify of second citizenship under Art. 330.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The journalist was detained again in Kazan on October 18. A second case was opened against her under Part 3 of Art. 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“failure to fulfill the obligation established by the legislation of the Russian Federation” for foreign agents to register in the appropriate register if there is a “purposeful collection of information in the field of military, military-technical activities of the Russian Federation” and this data can be used by foreigners against the security of the Russian Federation). On October 23, she was arrested by decision of the Sovetsky District Court of Kazan, and on December 1, her arrest was extended until February 5. Alsou Kurmasheva does not admit guilt.

Kirill Antonov, Kazan