Russia on Friday ordered an American journalist detained for three more days on charges she failed to register as a foreign agent.
Alsu Kurmasheva holds dual American Russian citizenship and is an editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She is the second American journalist to be arrested by Russia this year.
Kurmasheva appeared in court in Kazan, a city in central Russia, Tass, the state news agency reported. Photos published by Mediazone, an independent Russian media site, showed her wearing a coat with the hood up and a face mask as she sat in the defendant’s cage.
Her lawyer, Edgar Matevosyan, said she is not guilty of the charges, The Associated Press reported, citing Mediazone.
The journalist, who traveled to Russia in May for a family emergency, was briefly detained in June at an airport and her passports were confiscated.
She was arrested Wednesday, and if convicted, could face up to five years in prison.
Russia designated the U.S. Congress-funded RFE/RL a foreign agent in 2020.
The independent network refused to comply with the requirement to register as a foreign agent, saying it would be an invasion of its editorial processes and would limit the ability of the network to work.
"Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children," RFE/RL head Jeffrey Gedmin said. "She needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately." RFE/RL is a sister outlet of VOA.
The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders also condemned the detention.
"CPJ is deeply concerned by the detention of U.S.-Russia journalist Alsu Kurmasheva on spurious criminal charges and calls on Russian authorities to release her immediately and drop all charges against her," Gulnoza Said, who covers Russia at the CPJ, said in a statement.
"Journalism is not a crime and Kurmasheva's detention is yet more proof that Russia is determined to stifle independent reporting," Said added.
Russia's Washington embassy did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment
Kurmasheva is the second American journalist detained by Russia. Reporter Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal has been in custody in Moscow since March.
U.S. ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy met with Gershkovich on Tuesday one week after a court denied latest appeal to release him.
In a statement, the U.S. embassy said Gershkovich "remains in good spirits despite his challenging circumstances" and said the U.S. continues to call for his release.
