Alsu Kurmasheva

Editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Liberty. For many years she has been covering the problems of ethnic minorities in the Volga-Ural region of Russia, and has raised issues of protection and preservation of the Tatar language and culture against the background of increasing pressure of the Russian authorities on the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation in recent years. Kurmasheva had been living in Prague and came to Kazan for family reasons in mid-May 2023. On 2 June, when she was planning to leave, she was detained at the airport. The journalist's Russian and American passports were confiscated, after which a case was opened against her. On 11 October 2023, the court sentenced her to a fine, the amount is unknown. After the verdict in this case, Kurmasheva remained in Russia, waiting for the return of her documents. On 18 October 2023, she was detained as part of a case for failure to perform the duties of a "foreign agent" in connection with the collection of information on military activities. On 23 October, the court sent her to custody. In December 2023, it was reported that a case of "fakes" about the Armed Forces was brought against Kurmasheva. 19 July 2024 sentenced to six and a half years in a general regime colony. On 1 August 2024, Kurmasheva was released as part of prisoner exchange between the Russian Federation and the United States.