The husband and two daughters of an American journalist imprisoned in Russia called on the U.S. government in Washington this week to do more to help secure his release.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, has been jailed in Russia since October 2023 on charges of failing to register as a so-called foreign agent and spreading what Moscow considers false information about the Russian military .
Kurmasheva is the Prague-based editor of the Tatar-Bashkir service of VOA sister station Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The journalist and her employer reject the charges, which carry a combined penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
Since Kurmasheva was imprisoned, her husband Pavel Butorin has been calling for her immediate release. He and their daughter traveled to Washington from Prague this week as part of a campaign to secure Kurmasheva’s release.
“I’m here because I think the U.S. government can and should do more for her release,” Butorin told VOA.
Butorin is the director of Current Time TV, a Russian-language television and digital network led by RFE/RL in partnership with Voice of America.
While in Washington, Butorin met with State Department officials, but he did not disclose to VOA what was discussed at the meeting.
“I would be cautious to say that we are making some progress in identifying Arsu as an American journalist who was wrongfully detained,” Butorin said. “I appreciate the administration’s support and attention to Arsu’s case.”
For months, Butorin, RFE/RL and international press freedom groups have called on the State Department to declare that Kurmasheva was wrongfully detained, which would provide more resources to secure her release.
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an email from VOA seeking comment.
Kurmasheva is one of two American journalists imprisoned in Russia.
Another – this wall street journalEvan Gershkovich has been jailed in Russia since March 2023 on espionage charges, which he, his employer and the U.S. government deny. The 32-year-old will mark his first anniversary in prison on March 29.
The U.S. State Department announced that Gershkovich was wrongfully detained.
A State Department spokesman said U.S. officials have pressured the Russian government to gain access to Kurmasheva, but those requests have not yet been approved.
“We are deeply concerned about the detention of Arsu Kurmasheva,” the spokesperson told VOA in a statement.
“The State Department continuously reviews the detention of U.S. citizens abroad, including in Russia, for signs of error,” the spokesperson said of possible erroneous detention decisions.
“I was reassured that Arsu’s case is a priority. I heard from U.S. officials that they do consider her a political prisoner and they are working to free her,” Butorin said.
Butorin added that the most just solution would be for Moscow to drop the charges against his wife, who initially traveled to Russia in May 2023 due to a family emergency. Her passport was confiscated when she tried to leave the country in June, and she was awaiting its return when she was detained in October.
“These accusations are ridiculous – baseless. She is not a criminal. We know she is a dedicated mother to her daughters,” Butorin said. He added that the situation had taken a toll on their two children.
“My girls have had to grow up very quickly over the past nine months. It’s been an incredible strain on our family,” he said. “They want their mother back.”
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