Press Club leaders condemn Russian court ruling on Alsu Kurmasheva's detention, call on U.S. leaders to take action

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on a Russian court's ruling on Tuesday that American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for Radio Free Europe, will remain in pretrial detention.

"We are appalled by the Russian government's unjust detention of Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S. citizen, on politically motivated charges for more than four months. We condemn the senseless cruelty of today's decision by the Supreme Court of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan keeping Alsu in pretrial detention. Alsu's lawyers had requested that she be transferred to house arrest due to issues including her state of health."

"We call for the Russian government to immediately release Alsu, along with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Every day they remain in prison is an outrage."

"The world cannot stand idly by and allow journalists to be used as political pawns by the Russian government. The United States government can do more to help secure Alsu's release, and we call on the Biden Administration to take action."

"The U.S. State Department has yet to designate Alsu as wrongfully detained as it has other U.S. citizens held in Russia. The designation would raise the profile of the case against Alsu, effectively labeling it as politically motivated."

"We call on the State Department to immediately designate Alsu as wrongfully detained. Secretary Blinken must act now. Every day of inaction is another day too long."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged, global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with the skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. The NPCJI is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.

Contact: Bill McCarren, press freedom consultant for the National Press Club, [email protected], (202) 662-7534

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SOURCE National Press Club