When the leaders of a group that trains journalists were stopped by Russian Customs officials for carrying too much undeclared cash, they expected only to pay a fine. Now the two women fear imprisonment after their case turned into a full-scale government assault on their organisation.

The two ran the Educated Media Foundation, an American-funded nongovernmental organisation (NGO) that has trained journalists across Russia since 1997. Their fate has sent a chill through foreign NGOs, under intense Kremlin pressure before next year’s presidential elections.

Gillian McCormack, who is British, was carrying €10,000 (£7,000) and Manana Aslamazian €9,500 when they flew into Sheremetyevo airport in January. Russian Customs requires passengers to declare sums above $10,000 (£5,000). They said that this was an oversight, in statements to officials who confiscated the money.

Three months later the group’s central Moscow office was raided by 20 officers from the Interior Ministry, who seized documents and computers. Yesterday a court ruled that the raid was legal and disclosed that Ms Aslamazian had been charged with smuggling, punishable by up to five years in prison. Charges of money laundering and illegal business activity were also being examined. In all, Ms Aslamazian could face up to ten years in prison if convicted.

She fled to France after the raid in April with Ms McCormack, who said that she feared she would face the same charges as her Russian colleague if she returned to Moscow.

Times Recommends

• Please help: maimed children of war want their lives back
• Cabal seizes diamond riches to buy power
• White House gatecrashers got to the president