Kean, Keating and 17 bipartisan members send letter to Secretary Blinken on wrongful detention of Alsu Kurmasheva

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Chairman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and Ranking Member Bill Keating (MA-08) Wednesday sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to be designated as wrongfully detained under the Levinson Act.

Kurmasheva, a U.S. citizen, was detained multiple times before the Russian government brought unjust charges against her – charges she has promptly denied. U.S. citizens Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich continue to remain wrongfully detained in Russia.

“Russia continues its flagrant abuse of the rule of law, and it is vital Ms. Kurmasheva is deemed wrongfully detained to ensure her and her family receive the necessary resources to ensure her release,” said Chairman Kean and Ranking Member Keating. “We call on Russia to immediately release Ms. Kurmasheva and all other wrongfully detained U.S. citizens in Russia including Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. We also call for the immediate release of RFE/RL journalists who remained imprisoned in Belarus and Russia-occupied Crimea for simply doing their job.”

Congressman Kean serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.