Journalist Alma Kurmasheva is suspected of justifying the attack on the Russian ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev

Alsa Kurmasheva, a journalist of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty arrested in Kazan (declared a foreign agent), is considered involved in the production and distribution of a video with comments “justifying violent actions” against the Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev, who was doused with paint in May 2022 . According to law enforcement officers, she could have edited and posted this video. This follows from the materials of another criminal case against Ms. Kurmasheva – about failure to notify the Russian authorities of US citizenship. In this case, the magistrate court in Kazan fined her 10 thousand rubles in October. Today, the Sovetsky District Court began considering the appeal of the journalist’s defense against the verdict.

On December 1, in the Sovetsky District Court of Kazan, some details of the criminal case of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty journalist (declared a foreign agent) Alsou Kurmasheva, who is under arrest in connection with charges 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).

The Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for Tatarstan does not comment on this case and every time a preventive measure is imposed against a journalist, they initiate the removal of the media from the courtroom, fearing leaks. As Kommersant reportedtoday Alsu Kurmasheva’s stay in the pre-trial detention center was extended until February 5, and this decision was also made behind closed doors.

“According to operational information, Kurmasheva could have been involved in editing and posting a video about the attack on the Russian Ambassador to Poland (Sergei.— “Kommersant”) Andreev, who (Andrey.— “Kommersant”) Grigoriev (declared a foreign agent.— “Kommersant”) accompanies with comments justifying these violent actions,” the judge of the Sovetsky District Court, Alsu Shaykhutdinova, read out the testimony of a certain employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Gizatullin at the hearing of the appeal against the verdict of the magistrate court of judicial district No. 11 in the Sovetsky district of Kazan against Ms. Kurmasheva that took place today.

As it became known in court, on October 11 she was found guilty of committing a crime under Art. 330.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (failure to fulfill the obligation to submit a notification about whether a citizen of the Russian Federation has citizenship of a foreign state) and was fined 10 thousand rubles.

The reason for this, as follows from the case materials cited by Judge Shaikhutdinova, was that Alsu Kurmasheva has had a second citizenship – the United States – since 2014, but notified the Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation about this only on June 3. A criminal case against her in this regard was initiated on June 9. During his investigation, both of her passports, Russian and American, were confiscated from the journalist. The magistrate’s court ruled that she did not intentionally file the notice and did so only when she learned of law enforcement’s intention to prosecute her. The magistrate’s court decided that the crime committed by Mrs. Kurmasheva “is ongoing.” “The interests of society and the state have been violated,” the verdict says.

It was appealed by lawyer Rim Sabirov. During the consideration of the complaint in court, referring to Russian legislation, he stated that his client’s requirements for filing a notification do not apply, since she “has been living outside the Russian Federation on a permanent basis since 1998” – in the Czech Republic, and comes to Russia only to visit the mother and brother living in Kazan, a disabled person of the second group. The defense attorney believes that this criminal case should be dropped “due to the lack of corpus delicti in Alsu Kurmasheva’s actions.”

The district court can make a decision on the appeal next Monday, when its consideration was postponed at the request of the prosecutor’s office, which asked for time to prepare for the debate.

As Kommersant wrote, On May 9, 2022, the Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev and several members of his delegation were doused with red paint during a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of Soviet soldiers in Warsaw. A criminal case has been opened in Poland regarding an attack on the Russian ambassador.

Russian law enforcement agencies in connection with the incident in November last year announced wanted for Kazan journalist Andrei Grigoriev (declared a foreign agent). He is accused under Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism, committed using the media or electronic or information and telecommunication networks). He runs his own YouTube channel and investigators believe he produced a video containing “statements intended to justify violent action” against the ambassador.

In connection with his criminal case, a number of Kazan journalists and activists were searched in August and September last year.

Andrey Grigoriev (declared a foreign agent) previously headed the Kazan editorial office of Moskovsky Komsomolets, and in recent years was a colleague of Alsu Kurmasheva in the publication Idel.Realii (declared a foreign agent) – a project of Radio Liberty (declared a foreign agent). After the start of the SVO, he left Russia.

Judge Shaikhutdinova invited Ms. Kurmasheva to comment on the testimony of MIA officer Gizatullin against her: “Based on this testimony, can you say something?”

“I have nothing to do with the stated video. And the fact that I work with Radio Liberty (declared a foreign agent.— “Kommersant”), “yes,” answered the condemned woman.

Let us remind you that Russian and US citizen Alsu Kurmasheva was detained in Kazan on October 18 and arrested on October 23 in connection with charges under Part 3 of Art. 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Until now, only the state publication has outlined the essence of the claims against her “Tatar-inform”. According to him, Ms. Kurmasheva is accused of receiving information about mobilized teachers of a Tatarstan university in order to use this information in preparing “alternative analytical materials” for “conducting information campaigns discrediting Russia.”

Olga Kudrina