Russia extends detention of US-Russian journo

A Russian court yesterday extended until June 5 the pre-trial detention of US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who faces 15 years in prison on charges of spreading "false information," according to her employer.

In court in the central city of Kazan yesterday, Kurmasheva smiled but complained about the poor conditions in which she was being held.

"This cell is five square metres for two people. There is no hot water. Instead of a toilet there is a hole in the floor," she said.

A journalist at the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), she was arrested last year for failing to register as a "foreign agent".

RFE/RL says she was subsequently charged with spreading false information under new censorship laws introduced after Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine in 2022.