Lipavský calls on Russia to release journalist Kurmasheva in UN address

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called on Russia to release imprisoned journalist Alsa Kurmasheva during an open debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York on Wednesday. Mr. Lipavský, making his third speech at the UNSC in a year and a half, was taking part in a debate on conflict prevention and empowering all actors, including women and youth.

Ms. Kurmasheva, who is Russian-American, is based in Prague, where she works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She was arrested in Russia in October last year after visiting for family reasons and charged with failure to register as a foreign agent, which can carry a five-year jail term.