Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva enjoys life since her release from prison

Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva says she has fantasized about the moment she would step foot on American soil again and hug her family since her arrest in October 2023.

At the beginning of the month, after a historic complex and months-long negotiations involving six countriesKurmasheva was one of three American citizens released from a Russian prison. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan were the other two Americans released in a prisoner exchange.

“It was a Saturday morning. I was told to pack my things and be out in 15 minutes,” she told CBS Mornings on Friday, recalling the days before her return to the United States. “And they took me to a maximum security prison in Moscow and I didn't even know how long I would be there.”

“I was scared. I was happy. I knew it was coming, but I still couldn't believe it until I hugged my children,” she added.

Kurmasheva, editor at Radio Free Europe – Radio Liberty, was arrested in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. The Committee to Protect Journalists said Russia had accused Kurmasheva of gathering information on Russia's military activities “in order to pass information to foreign sources,” suggesting she had obtained information on university lecturers being drafted into the Russian army. She was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison after a secret trial in July.

On 1 August Kurmasheva, Gershkovich and Whelan landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after they were released as part of a prisoner exchange involving Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Norway.

Vladimir Kara-Murzaa US green card holder and Kremlin critic, was also released but decided to go to Germany, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. As part of the deal, Russia released 16 prisoners, while Western countries released eight Russians. The prisoners were exchanged on a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey.

“Russia is still a beautiful country full of wonderful people, especially young people who are open-minded. Unfortunately, the country is going through difficult times right now,” Kurmasheva said of the Russia she experienced before her arrest. “They don't have access to free and independent news and information and they are struggling. There is deep uncertainty about the future and this overwhelming feeling of fear is taking hold. People are afraid to talk to their neighbors, friends and family – that was my impression.”

Now, almost a month after returning home, Kurmasheva is settling back in and spending time with her family.

“I enjoy a bite of toast with avocado and eggs – something we cherish every morning in a free world…” she said. “Most importantly, I'm with my family, with my children, with my husband, and that's the most important thing.”

Kurmasheva's husband Pavel Butorin told CBS Mornings that during the 10 months without his “best friend for over 20 years,” he kept wondering if he was doing enough to win her back.

“Fortunately, I had the support of the U.S. government and an incredible lobbying team. We built a coalition that helped us put pressure on the U.S. government to make sure Alsu was part of the negotiations with the Russians,” he said. “We are overjoyed to have Alsu with us. For my children growing up in the free world, it was crazy to learn that their mother was being held in a Russian prison simply because she was an American journalist. We are happy to have her back in the free world where she can say and publish whatever she wants.”

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