Russian court jails journalist for six-and-a-half years after secret trial
GuardianJul 18
The Facts
Russian state media reported on Monday that Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual Russian-American national, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison on Friday.
This comes as she was found guilty of failing to register as a "foreign agent" and disseminating "false information" about the Russian army in a secret trial in the southwestern city of Kazan.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
A free and independent press is at the core of a democracy. Moscow has sentenced another American journalist to a long prison sentence on trumped-up charges. It's a sad day for journalism in Russia when truthtellers and dissenting voices are silenced like this. Kurmasheva and Gershkovich should be released immediately.
Pro-Russia narrative
America's state-run RFE/RL has been an ideological mouthpiece for the CIA since the early days of the Cold War, promoting anti-Soviet and anti-Russia propaganda. So, it's logical that a Russian national working for such an outlet should register as a foreign agent. On top of that, a book she recently edited spreads false information about the war in Ukraine.
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