Tatarstan Supreme Court upholds ruling on detention of journalist from foreign agent media outlet

KAZAN. Oct 31 (Interfax) - Tatarstan's Supreme Court on Tuesday heard an appeal against the arrest of Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, designated a foreign agent media organization, the court told Interfax.

"The suspect and her lawyer asked for her restraining measure to be changed from being remanded in custody to house arrest. The court decided to leave the appeal without approval," a court representative said.

It was reported that Kurmasheva was arrested in Kazan as a suspect in a criminal case opened under the article of the Russian Criminal Code relating to the failure to fulfill an obligation established by the Russian Federation's laws to provide the authorities with documentation necessary for inclusion in the register of foreign agents, by a person engaged in deliberately gathering information on Russia's military and military-technical activity, which, if obtained by foreign sources, could be used against the Russian Federation's security.

The investigator petitioned for a restraining measure in the form of remand in custody. The Sovetsky District Court of the city of Kazan arrested the journalist until December 5.

Kurmasheva failed to notify the Justice Ministry that she worked as a journalist for a foreign-agent media outlet, her lawyer Edgar Matevosyan said.

"There are two ways of being recognized as a foreign agent. Either you provide [information] on your own, or the Justice Ministry recognizes [the person as a foreign agent]...She does not consider herself guilty," Matevosyan said.

Kurmasheva is registered in Kazan, but resided in the Czech Republic. She is a dual Russian-U.S. citizen.