A Russian court today extended the detention of a Russian-American journalist accused of violating Russia’s foreign agent law until Monday, December 5.

Alsou Kurmaseva is a journalist based in Prague for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which is funded by the US Congress and labeled a “foreign agent” by Russia because it receives foreign funding for activities deemed political.

Kurmaseva’s lawyer, Edgar Matevosyan, told Reuters that considers the decision of the court of the city of Kazan “very harsh” and that he intends to appeal.

Kurmaseva is the second journalist with American citizenship who is under arrest and facing charges in Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine, which has sent relations between Moscow and Washington to their lowest level in more than 60 years.

After Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in March on espionage charges — which he denies — almost all other American journalists fled Russia.

The US State Department said last week that the proceedings against Kurmaseva appeared to be “yet another case of Russian government harassment of US citizens”. The Kremlin denied this and called the comment inappropriate.

Kurmasheva, who holds an American as well as a Russian passport, entered Russia on May 20 due to a family emergency, RFE/RL reported. While waiting for her return flight on June 2, she was arrested and her passports confiscated.

She was fined for failing to declare her US passport to Russian authorities and last week was charged with failing to declare herself a “foreign agent”, a charge that carries up to five years in prison.

RFE/RL calls for Kurmaseva’s immediate release in order to immediately return to her husband and two children.