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After months of complex and delicate negotiations, American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva touched down in the United States on a plane carrying three Americans released in a  with Russia on August 1.

Held hostage in the Russian city of Kazan for more than nine months, Alsu had an emotional reunion with her family on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, only minutes before her youngest daughter . 

Alsu committed no crime and should never have been detained. As we breathe a sigh of relief for Alsu and her family, we continue the fight to secure the release of , and stand in solidarity with all journalists who are imprisoned by Russia and its allies in retaliation for their honest reporting.

A Mockery of Justice

Alsu is a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a congressionally funded, editorially independent media organization reporting the news in places where press freedom is under threat. Based in Prague, Alsu works for RFE/RL鈥檚 , covering cultural and human rights issues affecting ethnic minority communities in Russia. 

Alsu traveled to Russia in May 2023 to care for her elderly, sick mother. She intended to stay there for only two weeks, but as she was getting ready to board a plane at Kazan airport, she was stopped and forced to turn over her U.S. and Russian passports. Authorities charged her with not registering her U.S. passport and later handed her a small fine. 

She spent the summer under de facto house arrest in Kazan, eager to pay the fine and return home to Prague. Before she could, masked Russian agents showed up at her mother鈥檚 door on October 18, 2023, and took Alsu away. They charged her with failing to self-register as a 鈥渇oreign agent鈥� and then with 鈥渟preading false information鈥� about Russia鈥檚 military, under draconian laws Russia uses to punish independent journalists.

Alsu spent nine months in horrid conditions, surviving the Russian winter in a cold, filthy prison cell and constantly getting sick. Following a , she was convicted and sentenced to six and a half years in prison on July 16, the same day that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to sixteen years on charges of espionage.

Alsu鈥檚 only crime was being an American journalist with a commitment to the truth. 

Her forced separation from her loving family and colleagues was undeserved and cruel, and her treatment in prison was appalling. 鈥淚鈥檓 finally in good hands,鈥�  several days after her release. 鈥淚鈥檓 being treated as a human being, finally, after this horrible, horrible ordeal.鈥�

While we celebrate Alsu鈥檚 release, we must remember that Russia鈥檚 broader crackdown on the free press continues unabated, supported by its allies. Three of Alsu鈥檚 colleagues remain wrongfully detained in Russia-occupied Crimea and Belarus: Vladyslav Yesypenko, Ihar Losik, and Andrey Kuznechyk. 

As we welcome Alsu home, we strengthen our commitment to their freedom and will continue to work tirelessly until they are returned to their families.

The jailing of RFE/RL journalists is part of an insidious trend. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists,  behind bars in 2023 on charges ranging from criticizing the war in Ukraine to spreading 鈥渇ake news.鈥� Countless others have been forced to report from exile or stop practicing journalism entirely for their own safety.

鈥淢y Brain Almost Boiled鈥� 

, a journalist with RFE/RL鈥檚 Ukrainian Service, was detained by Russia鈥檚 Federal Security Service (FSB) in Russia-occupied Crimea on March 10, 2021. A Ukrainian citizen, Vlad left Crimea after Russia鈥檚 2014 annexation but felt compelled to return periodically to report on social and environmental issues impacting the peninsula鈥檚 residents.

On February 16, 2022, a Russia-imposed court convicted Vlad of 鈥減ossession and transport of explosives,鈥� a charge he steadfastly denies. Prosecutors have since  that a grenade 鈥渇ound鈥� in Vlad鈥檚 vehicle did not have his fingerprints on it.

During his trial, Vlad said he was  to extract a false confession. Recalling the torture, he said: 鈥淢y eyes hurt and my brain almost boiled. . . . I was ready to sign anything.鈥� He is currently serving a five-year sentence, separated from his wife Kateryna and ten-year-old daughter Stefania, who have not seen him in more than three years.

Russia鈥檚 Allies Test Its Playbook

, a journalist with RFE/RL鈥檚 Belarus Service, was detained in Minsk on June 25, 2020, as part of mass arrests in the lead-up to Belarus鈥檚 rigged election in August 2020, which cemented Aleksandr Lukashenko鈥檚 Kremlin-backed dictatorship.

After a five-month closed-door trial,  and sentenced to fifteen years in prison on baseless charges that included 鈥渙rganization of mass riots鈥� and 鈥渋ncitement to hatred.鈥� He was transferred to the notorious Navapolatsk hard labor colony.

Since his arrest, Ihar has endured severe psychological and physical pressure, including beatings, , and several debilitating hunger strikes. He has been  since February 2023, cut off from the outside world. 

Ihar鈥檚 colleague is held in the same prison on equally unjust charges, but they are not permitted to speak to one another. An avid cyclist, Andrey was  in Minsk on November 25, 2021, while returning home from a bike ride. Authorities ransacked his home and threw him in prison to serve two consecutive ten-day sentences for 鈥渉ooliganism.鈥�

That winter, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine with Lukashenko鈥檚 support, while Andrey remained in detention on unspecified charges. The charges remained unknown until May 2022, when Andrey was accused of 鈥�.鈥�

On June 8, 2022, Andrey was sentenced to  following a closed-door trial that lasted no more than a few hours. 

Andrey is an innocent father of two young children. Because of Lukashenko鈥檚 persecution, he is kept from them and the rest of his loving family.

Journalism Is Not a Crime

These journalists were imprisoned not for what they did (or rather did not do) but for what they represent: a challenge to the false narratives peddled by the Kremlin and its allies. And they鈥檙e not alone鈥攄etentions of journalists in Russia are at an .

Authoritarians like Putin and Lukashenko seek to silence independent journalists committed to reporting the truth. Yet each attempt to silence members of the free press serves to underscore the importance of our mission.

RFE/RL remains dedicated to fighting for the truth and promoting democratic values by providing accurate, uncensored news and open debate in countries where a free press is threatened and disinformation is pervasive.

Every minute Vladyslav, Ihar, Andrey, and every other journalist imprisoned by the Kremlin and its allies are kept behind bars is time stolen from their families. We will not stop fighting for their freedom until they鈥攍ike Alsu鈥攃an finally embrace their loved ones again.

The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.