RFE/RL Condemns Detention of Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva in Russia

19 October 2023

RFE/RL Condemns Detention of Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva in Russia

On October 18, authorities in Kazan, Russia, detained Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Tatar-Bashkir Service. Kurmasheva has been charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

“Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children,” said RFE/RL acting President Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin. “She needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately.” Kurmasheva is a dual U.S. and Russian citizen who lives in Prague, Czech Republic, with her husband and children.

Kurmasheva traveled to Russia for a family emergency on May 20. She was temporarily detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2. Authorities at Kazan airport confiscated Kurmasheva’s U.S. and Russian passports. She was subsequently fined for failure to register her U.S. passport with Russian authorities. She was awaiting the return of her passports when the new charge was announced on October 18.

Kurmasheva is an accomplished journalist who has long covered ethnic minority communities in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan in the Volga-Ural region of Russia. She has reported on initiatives to protect and preserve the Tatar language and culture from Russian authorities, who have exerted increased pressure on Tatars in recent years.

Since 2012, Russia has used foreign agent laws to punish perceived government critics who receive funding from abroad or are deemed to be “under foreign influence,” including civil society groups, media outlets, independent journalists, and activists.

[Source: RFE/RL press release; photo credit Pangea Graphics RFE/RL]

Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz service unblocked

17 July 2023

Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz service unblocked

Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz service has reported that it is no longer blocked in Kyrgyzstan.

According to the broadcaster, almost all Internet providers in the country have restored access to Azattyk’s websites, rus.azattyk.org and azattyk.org.

The sites have been blocked since October 2022 when the Ministry of Culture implemented a ban and froze the broadcaster’s bank account following a report on a conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border that it said contained “inaccurate information”.

On 12 July, a court approved a settlement agreement concluded between Azattyk and the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy and all legal proceedings were terminated. “The reason for concluding the agreement was that the material became unavailable on the platforms of Radio Liberty,” Azattyk said.

Nicola Careem joins RFE/RL as Head of News Division

2 June 2023

Nicola Careem joins RFE/RL as Head of News Division

Award-winning journalist Nicola Careem will join Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) as the Head of News Division, effective July 24, 2023. Operating from the company’s Prague headquarters, Careem will be responsible for establishing RFE/RL’s editorial priorities, overseeing the editorial board, and managing the production of multi-platform news content published in 23 countries and 27 languages.

“Nicola brings fresh perspective and valuable experience working in challenging media climates to RFE/RL,” said RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly. “We’re excited to have her lead our journalists as we reach growing audiences with truthful reporting.”

Careem has over two decades of experience as a journalist, overseeing news operations in conflict zones and turbulent environments. She has covered six wars from the ground, leading teams in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Yemen. Most recently, she played a pivotal role at CNN as the Director of Coverage during the first six months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Before joining CNN, Careem led the BBC’s South Asia operation from New Delhi. She oversaw internationally acclaimed and agenda-setting coverage, steering the organization through the conflict in Afghanistan, increased military escalations between India and Pakistan, and unparalleled attacks on journalistic freedoms in the region. As the South Asia Bureau Chief, she was in charge of the BBC’s English language services from multiple bureaus across the continent, working closely with BBC Urdu, Pashto, and Dari, among other language services. Notably, she ran the BBC’s operation from Kabul as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban and led the organization’s coverage of the devastating COVID-19 outbreak in India.

Careem will lead a news division that has experienced record audience growth in response to award-winning coverage of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, historic anti-regime protests in Iran, and other momentous developments across RFE/RL’s broadcast markets. She will play a central role in executing RFE/RL’s comprehensive strategies to counter disinformation by prioritizing the organization’s ongoing digital transformation, including greater investments in data journalism, investigative journalism, digital storytelling, and digital forensics to provide growing audiences with quality, trusted news.

[Source: RFE/RL press release]

Image: Jan Rambousek/RFE/RL

RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly to Depart

15 May 2023

RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly to Depart

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) President and CEO Jamie Fly has announced his resignation, effective June 30, to move his family back to the United States and pursue an opportunity in the private sector. Former RFE/RL President and current board member Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin will serve as Interim President and CEO to provide steady and continued leadership as the RFE/RL Board of Directors carries out a search for a permanent President and CEO.

“I want to thank Jamie for his contributions to RFE/RL,” said Ambassador Karen Kornbluh, Chair of the RFE/RL Board of Directors. “As a result of his leadership and enduring strategic vision, RFE/RL is in a strong and stable position to carry out its mission, free from political interference, and reach growing audiences. He should be proud of this legacy.”

Fly was first named RFE/RL President and CEO in July 2019, and served until June 2020. After a brief period as a Senior Fellow and Senior Advisor to the President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, he resumed leadership of RFE/RL in February 2021 following his reappointment by the Board of Directors.

Fly’s tenure prioritized RFE/RL’s response to Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine through an expansion of RFE/RL’s operations in Ukraine and programming for Russian audiences. He also expanded RFE/RL’s focus on Chinese malign influence across Eurasia. He oversaw a digital transformation of a news division that is reaching ever-growing audiences, opening new bureaus, and responding strategically to authoritarian censorship. RFE/RL staff will remember Fly’s relentless advocacy on behalf of detained and imprisoned colleagues, and his resolve to secure their safe release to their families.

“I am honored to have been able to serve twice at the helm of this iconic institution, and to have spent time with the brave and talented journalists and support staff who make RFE/RL’s success possible,” said Fly. “I am optimistic that despite the authoritarian challenges we face, RFE/RL is well-positioned to excel in our markets and grow our audiences at a time when our independent reporting is needed more than ever.”

Fly led the development of RFE/RL’s comprehensive plans to counter Russian and Chinese disinformation and reach surging audiences with trusted news. As part of these strategies, RFE/RL established new bureaus in Riga and Vilnius to house exiled journalists and produce new content offerings. RFE/RL is launching a Digital Innovation Lab and Digital Forensic Unit to respond to censorship and disinformation narratives and is making greater investments in investigative journalism.

Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin led RFE/RL from 2007 to 2011. He is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of American Purpose, and previously served as President and CEO of the Aspen Institute in Berlin, as Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and as Executive Director of the New Atlantic Initiative. He is the author and editor of several books focused on Germany and European security, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Together with former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norm Eisen, Dr. Gedmin is co-chair of the Transatlantic Democracy Working Group, hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

RFE/RL board members Margaret Hoover and Kristin Lord are leading the search process to select a permanent President and CEO. The Board of Directors has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to find a candidate who will build on Fly’s achievements and shepherd the organization into its next phase with continued bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress. Inquiries should be directed to RFERL.CEO@russellreynolds.com.

[Source: RFE/RL press release]

RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly Visits Ukraine, Moldova as RFE/RL Expands Efforts to Counter Russian Disinformation

27 March 2023

RFE/RL President and CEO Jamie Fly Visits Ukraine, Moldova as RFE/RL Expands Efforts to Counter Russian Disinformation

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) President and CEO Jamie Fly visited Moldova and Ukraine for meetings with senior officials, civil society groups, and the company’s journalists. His trip reinforced RFE/RL’s commitment to counter Russian malign influence, and to support media freedom in both countries.

“I am in awe of the professionalism and resilience shown by our incredible journalists reporting every day on Ukraine’s struggle to defend its freedom,” said Fly. “RFE/RL is committed to continuing to expand our reporting on this war as we grow our audiences in Russia, Ukraine, and across the region.”

Fly visited Ukraine as RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, launched a new hour-long weekday morning show “Svoboda.Ranok” on YouTube from a new bureau in Lviv. The show recaps the latest news from the frontlines overnight, while giving Ukrainian audiences hope as they begin their day. RFE/RL also launched a new reporting project, “How Are You?” to cover the stories of the approximately thirteen million forced migrants displaced by Russian aggression.

During a visit to Odesa, Kyiv, and Lviv, Fly met with senior government officials including Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Innovation, Education, Science, and Technology and Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov; Minister for Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko; First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzheppar; Advisor to the Chief of Staff of President Zelenskyy Daria Zarivna; Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko; Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi; and members of parliament. Fly also met with representatives from other media outlets and civil society groups. In all discussions, Fly emphasized the importance of RFE/RL’s frontline reporting, its investigative work, and its ongoing role in creating a democratic culture with a vibrant free press. Fly also advocated for the release of imprisoned journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko, and thanked officials for their ongoing efforts to obtain his release.

As the Kremlin’s threats toward other countries in the region intensify, Fly also visited Chisinau, Moldova. In meetings with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, Fly reiterated RFE/RL’s commitment through its Moldovan Service and Russian-language services to produce content relevant for all Moldovans, including those subjected to Kremlin propaganda.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war over one year ago, RFE/RL journalists have provided audiences with award-winning reporting from the frontlines on the human toll and Ukraine’s response to the brutality. Journalists with the Ukrainian Service have uncovered mass burials in Mariupol, documented the search for Russian sailors killed in the sinking of the Moskva cruiser, and reported extensively on “filtration” and life under occupation. This thorough coverage has driven historic traffic increases among audiences in Russia.

On April 28, 2022, RFE/RL journalist Vira Hyrych was killed in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike hit the residential building where she lived. Prior to the full-scale invasion, Radio Svoboda contributor Vladyslav Yesypenko was unjustly sentenced to a six-year prison term (later reduced to five years) on fraudulent charges in Russian-occupied Crimea. Fly and members of the international community have called for Yesypenko’s immediate release.

RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, known locally as Radio Europa Libera, is reaching Romanian and Russian-speaking audiences with objective reporting in a country with widespread disinformation. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Radio Europa Libera broke news about a bridge explosion at Moldova’s border, and later, errant missiles. The Service was also one of the first local outlets to report on refugees from Ukraine, and is covering Moldova’s ongoing economic hardship as a result of Russia’s war. Moldovan audiences also consume Russian-language reporting from RFE/RL’s Russian Service and 24/7 television and digital platform Current Time.

[Source: RFE/RL press release]