Russian investigators request formal arrest for detained Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva

Update: The court ruled to extend Kurmasheva’s detention until 1:00 p.m. on October 23, according to Mediazona.

Russian investigators have requested that Alsu Kurmasheva, an RFE/RL journalist with joint U.S. and Russian citizenship who was arrested in Kazan on Wednesday, be sent to a pre-trial detention facility, according to the news outlets Sota and Tatar Inform, which cited the court’s press service.

Kurmasheva stands accused of failing to voluntarily register as a “foreign agent” in Russia. She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.

A trial to determine her pretrial detention is scheduled for Friday.