MOSCOW - The U.S. Embassy in Moscow on Tuesday called on Russia to free Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist for U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)Radio who was sentenced last week to 6-1/2 years in prison by a Russian court.

The embassy called Kurmasheva "a principled journalist uncompromisingly committed to the truth and objective reporting" and said the court's jailing of her, which was made public on Monday, represented "a sad day for journalism in Russia."

The court said it had convicted Kurmasheva, who has denied any wrongdoing, of spreading false information about the Russian army.

  - Reuters