Alsu Kurmasheva has both a US and Russian passport. She works for Radio Free Europe news and lives in Prague. She was visiting family in Russia when she was suddenly arrested for failing to report herself to the authorities as a “foreign agent.”

While in prison, Kormasheva was accused of spreading false information about the Russian military. She has now been convicted. US State Department Spokesperson Kormasheva said “A target of the Russian authorities, because of her strict commitment to telling the truth and her principled reporting.”

Last week, another American journalist was convicted in Russia. Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison for spying for the US security services.

Russian authorities have produced no conclusive evidence that Gershkovich was actually spying. “Journalism is not a crime,” US President Joe Biden said. a permitAccording to the president, Russia is holding Gershkovich illegally.

Bartering innocents for criminals

The US and Russia are said to be talking about a prisoner swap to free Gershkovich and Kormasheva, but that’s not easy. The US will also have to secure the release of convicted Russian citizens.

Russia correspondent Olaf Kuens describes what is happening to Gershkovich and Kormasheva as “hostage diplomacy.” “The Russian state is detaining people, or actually kidnapping them, with the aim of retrieving prisoners held abroad somewhere.”

“It’s actually quite vile,” says Quinns. “Innocent people are being exchanged for criminals. The question is whether such an exchange will actually happen.”

One name being bandied about is Vadim Krasikov, a Russian currently imprisoned in Germany for the 2019 murder of a Georgian Chechen dissident. Putin earlier this year described Krasikov as a “patriot” who “eliminated a bandit in a European capital.”

Vladimir Dunayev and Roman Seleznev have also been mentioned as Russians who could be released in a prisoner swap. Both are stuck in the United States. Dunayev is being held on charges of wire fraud and identity theft, and Seleznev was convicted of cyberattacks on American companies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov He said last week There are discussions about a possible prisoner exchange. It is not clear at what stage these discussions have reached. Until then, Gershkovich and Kormasheva will remain in Russian prison camps.

“Russia really wants the big prize,” says Coens. “It’s a very difficult dilemma, because of course you want to secure the release of these innocent journalists. But you also don’t want to create an example that every Russian criminal in America or Western Europe can get out of prison.”

Being a journalist in Russia

The convictions of Gershkovich and Kormasheva underscore how difficult it is to work as a journalist in Russia now. “You can’t just move to Moscow and be a reporter,” Coens explains.

“Foreign journalists who have already lived in Russia before 2022 and have been accredited by the Russian government can still do their work in a certain way. But that comes with many restrictions,” says Gert Groote Koerkamp, ​​who works for De Volkskrant and NOS. Dutch journalist only Who still lives in Russia.

According to the NGO Reporters Without Borders There are currently 36 journalists imprisoned in Russia. Koens explains that Gershkovich and Kormasheva’s Russian colleagues cannot hope to be released in a prisoner swap. “As a foreign journalist, you are protected to some extent. They receive consular assistance, and they can hope that they will eventually be exchanged.”