WASHINGTON—Today, US Helsinki Commission Ranking Member and OSCE PA Special Representative on Political Prisoners Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) made the following statement on the conviction of the Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva by a Russian court:
“Russia’s conviction of Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years in prison is a sham and travesty indicative of the Putin regime’s behavior. The Russian judiciary does not exist as a check but is a part of Putin’s repression machine, and Alsu has become yet another one of its victims. The Russian government’s pattern of targeting and persecuting individuals who demonstrate even an ounce of independent thought is systematic and further evidence that Putin is an outlaw, and Russia is an outlaw country.
“Alsu is an American, a mother of two young children and a professional journalist who has committed no crime. Russia must let her go now. The U.S. Department of State should use every instrument in its toolbox, including designating her wrongfully detained, to bring Alsu home.”
Ms. Kurmasheva is a Prague-based journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). She was detained in October 2023 while on a trip to visit her mother in Russia. She was formally accused of spreading false information in December, charges Putin often uses to silence independent voices.
