U.S. Yet To Designate RFERL reporter Alsu Kurmasheva As Wrongfully Detained By Russia

The State Department said Thursday it 'continues to look into' options to designate jailed RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who has been held since October in Russia, as "wrongfully detained", which will empower the Biden administration to explore avenues to try to secure her release, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"It is a case that we continue to focus an enormous amount of attention on," spokesperson Matthew Miller told a daily briefing when responding to TURAN's questions on the matter.

He went on to add, "And as I have said a number of times that just because we have not made a wrongful detention determination at any point does not indicate anything about the work that we are doing or about what our future posture may be.  We are constantly gathering information in all of these cases, assessing facts, assessing law in helping us guide – in helping guide us to what ultimately will be the right determination.

Kurmasheva, an editor with RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Service, has already spent three months in Russian jail under false accusations, such as failure to register as a foreign agent. Last month Moscow authorities levied additional charges against her accusing her of disseminating “fake” news about Russia’s armed forces, carrying a potential punishment of up to 10 years in prison.