Eight U.S. legislators haveactually called on the State Department to designate American Russian reporter Alsu Kurmasheva as “wrongfully apprehended.”
In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the legislators, led by Democrats Eleanor Holmes Norton and Adam Schiff, askedfor updates on Kurmasheva, who hasactually been apprehended in Russia giventhat October 18.
The Prague-based editor for the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL, was apprehended while in Russia managing a household emergencysituation.
Russian authorities implicate Kurmasheva of stoppingworking to register as a foreign representative, which she declines. A court Friday purchased her held upuntil February. If foundedguilty, Kurmasheva might be imprisoned for up to 5 years.
The U.S. legislators askedfor details on the State Department’s efforts to safeandsecure consular gainaccessto. Russia has so far rejected such demands.
They advised the State Department to designate the Russian reporter as “wrongfully apprehended.”
“Based on the truths that are understood, we think a official classification is required and stays essential to makesure the complete engagement of the U.S. federalgovernment and the arrangement of all appropriate resources to assistance Ms. Kurmasheva and her household as efforts continue to return her to her enjoyed ones as quickly as possible,” the letter stated.
The State Department designated imprisoned Wall Street Journal pressreporter Evan Gershkovich as wrongfully apprehended within 2 weeks of the Amer