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Russia not conducting campaign to persecute US nationals — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that legal measures are taken only against those US citizens who violate the law

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Russia is not persecuting US nationals, but officials are taking appropriate measures against those that violate the law, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in comments on the situation around an editor of Radio Liberty (designated by Russia as a foreign agent news media outlet).

"No, there is absolutely no campaign to persecute US citizens in Russia," he said, when asked about the editor, Alsu Kurmasheva. "There are US citizens who violate the law <…> legal measures are taken against them."

"There is no other campaign of any kind, and we believe to talk about it is inappropriate," Peskov said.

"As for the said representative, unfortunately, we are not aware of it and are absolutely not following it," the Kremlin spokesman said.

The Sovetsky District Court in Kazan told TASS earlier that the investigation has asked the court to take Radio Liberty editor Alsu Kurmasheva in custody on suspicion of evading her duties under the Russian law on foreign agents. Kurmasheva was detained as a suspect under a Russian Criminal Code article that stipulates punishment in the form of a fine of up to 300,000 rubles or the amount of wages for a period of up to 2 years, or in the form of community service for up to 480 hours or correctional labor for up to 5 years. The same article may also carry a penalty of imprisonment for up to 5 years.

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Foreign policy United States Dmitry Peskov

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