After Gershkovich, US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva sentenced to 6.5 years in prison

Days after handing prison term to Wall Street Journal reporter,Evan Gershkovich, a Russian court has sentenced US-Russian journalistAlsu Kurmasheva to six and a half years in jail for spreading "false information" about the military on Monday (Jul 22).

"Alsu Kurmasheva was sentenced. Six years, six months," Natalya Loseva, a spokesperson for the Supreme Court of Tatarstan, was quoted as saying news agency AFP.

Kurmasheva, a Prague-based editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was arrested after failing to register as a 'foreign agent'during a visit to Russia in October last year.

Days after being arrested in Kazan,Kurmasheva was charged with a violation of the law which requires registration of those who carry out “purposeful collection of information in the field of military, military-technical activities of Russia” as “foreign agents”, which if received by foreign sources, “can be used against the security of the country".

She was also fined $103 (10,000 roubles) on October 11 after she failed to register her US passport with Russian authorities.

Notably,RFE/RL is funded by the United States Congress and is designated by Moscow as a “foreign agent”. Moscow’s foreign agent law allows Russian authorities to label organisations and people that receive foreign funding as “foreign agents”.

Stephen Capus, RFE/RL president and CEO saidKurmasheva's sentencing was a "mockery of justice", adding that the "onlyjust outcome is for Alsu to be immediately released from prison by her Russian captors".

Gershkovich sentenced

Kurmasheva's jail sentence comes days afterGershkovich became the firstjournalist in Russia to be charged and convicted of spying since the Soviet era. He was handed a 16-yearprison sentence on espionage charges after just over three weeks of closed-door court proceedings.

BothGershkovich and his employer, WSJ have denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. During the trial, the 32-year-old journalist pleaded not guilty.

President Joe Biden said his government was pressing for the release ofGershkovich despite the judgement by the Russian court.

"We are pushing hard for Evan's release and will continue to do so," Biden said in a statement, adding that the Wall Street Journal employee had "committed no crime" and was "targeted" by Moscow for being a reporter and an Americancitizen.

The only way Gershkovich can secure a release is if Kremlin agrees to a potential exchange of prisoners with Washington.Russian President Vladimir Putin has previouslyimplied he wants to see the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted in Germany of killing a Chechen separatist commander.

(With inputs from agencies)