Journalists in Trouble is a monthly report of incidents targeting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists and their work, and developments affecting press freedom across 23 countries. Subscribe for exclusive updates. 

In Case You Missed It

• “I don’t know what time it is; there are no clocks here, but surprisingly, you roughly still know…” Letters from RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva reveal the harsh reality of her wrongful imprisonment in Russia. Read her words via VOA News. 
• “I need this case to be elevated to a higher level so that Alsu feels the support of the government and so that my children — future voters — also understand that they have the government’s support,” Alsu’s husband told National Review. 
• In May, RFE/RL celebrated the 70th anniversary of its Belarus Service, Radio Svaboda. In this video, Svaboda journalist Anna Sous explained the personal and professional challenges of reporting on her home country from afar: “It’s painful because I’m afraid to lose touch with people.” 

RUSSIA: Russian Court Extends Alsu Kurmasheva’s Detention for Sixth Time

On May 31, a Russian court extended American RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva’s detention for the sixth time, until August 5. Alsu was detained by Russian authorities in October 2023 while visiting her ailing mother. She faces up to 15 years in prison on false charges.

RFE/RL President & CEO Stephen Capus said: “Alsu has not even had a single phone call with her loving children and husband; she’s been denied U.S. consular access as well as basic, adequate levels of health care. Alsu should be home in Prague with her daughters helping them study for final exams — not locked up in a Russian prison on baseless charges.”

Press freedom groups condemned the extension, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute, the National Press Club, and PEN International. On Capitol Hill, Alsu’s detention was denounced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul. RFE/RL thanks them for their support.

In June, Alsu’s husband Pavel Butorin visited Washington, D.C. to advocate for her release. He met with U.S. government officials, Congressional staffers, and press freedom advocates. Pavel also attended a June 13 House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on “The Plight of Americans Detained Abroad.” The hearing was chaired by Rep. Brian Mast who inquired about Alsu’s status.

At the May 31 court hearing, Alsu spoke about receiving inadequate medical care in prison and being denied the chance to speak to her family. Watch here.

TAKE ACTION: We encourage you to join the call to #FreeAlsu on social media. Inspiration and sample language are available in this advocacy toolkit. You can also send Alsu a solidarity letter through the UK-based NGO Rights in Russia. 

BELARUS: Join RFE/RL and Freedom House for a virtual discussion on June 25 about the crisis of political imprisonment and incommunicado detention in Belarus. Register to attend.

GEORGIA: “Foreign Agent” Bill Becomes Law

Despite weeks of mass protests and objections from human rights organizations, Georgia’s controversial “foreign agent” bill became law on June 3.

“There’s a reason this dangerous new legislation is called the “Russian Law” by tens of thousands of Georgians who have taken to the streets to demonstrate against it. They know it takes a page out of the Kremlin’s playbook and is like Russian laws designed to silence free expression, undermine democratic values, and represents a backslide towards authoritarianism,” said RFE/RL President & CEO Stephen Capus. 

The “foreign agent” bill, which has been widely criticized as being modeled on a similar Russian law used by the Kremlin to stigmatize civil society, requires NGOs and media organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources to register as “serving the interests of a foreign power” and submit to extensive oversight.

AZERBAIJAN: European Rights Court Rules in Favor of RFE/RL

RFE/RL welcomes a June 13 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the government of Azerbaijan’s 2017 decision to block access to the website of RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service was a violation of the right to freedom of information.

The website was blocked after RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, known locally as Azadliq, published investigative reports about financial activities linked to members of President Ilham Aliyev’s family and his inner circle.

“While the website has been blocked since 2017, Baku’s crackdown against RFE/RL’s independent journalism is a longstanding problem. In 2009, the government banned broadcasting on FM frequencies and, in 2014, they raided our bureau and shut it down,” RFE/RL President & CEO Stephen Capus said. “Yet, using circumvention tools, Azadliq continues its investigative reporting on public corruption, political prisoners, and electoral fraud.”

My name is Deniz Yuksel, Advocacy Manager here at RFE/RL and the author of Journalists in Trouble. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for standing with persecuted journalists.

If you are interested in collaborating to amplify the stories of our imprisoned journalists, you can reach me by emailing advocacy@rferl.org.