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US citizen Ksenia Karelina sentenced to twelve years in prison in Russia for high treason

A Russian court accused Ksenia Karelina of donating about $50 to a group supporting the Ukrainian army. She and her supporters say the money went to a charity that provides humanitarian aid.

A Russian court on Thursday reportedly sentenced a Russian-American dual citizen to 12 years in prison for treason after she was found guilty of donating money to a group supporting Ukrainian forces.

The funds donated by 33-year-old Ksenia Karelina – a total of just over $50 – were used “to purchase tactical medicines, equipment, weapons and ammunition” for Ukraine, the court said.

Although Karelina, a native of Yekaterinburg and living in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty, the woman and her supporters insisted the money was donated to a charity that supports humanitarian aid in the war-torn country, which was invaded by Russia in 2022.

The verdict was announced Thursday in a closed hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where Karelina's case was being heard by the same court that convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage in July.

Karelina sentenced two weeks after major prisoner exchange

Karelina, a spa worker and trained ballet dancer, appeared in court wearing a white sweatshirt and blue jeans and sat quietly in a glass cage in the courtroom, Reuters reported.

Russia's FSB had accused Karelina of collecting money for the Ukrainian army after her arrest in February, but her family and other supporters said she donated $51.80 to a charity raising money for humanitarian aid for war-affected Ukrainians.

The money went to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based charity that helps children and the elderly in the country. The organization has denied providing military support to Kyiv, Reuters reported.

Karelina's verdict came about two weeks after the Kremlin released 16 prisoners, including Gershkovich, in one of the most significant East-West prisoner exchanges since the Cold War. The exchange saw eight people held in the United States, Germany, Norway, Slovenia and Poland returned to Russia.

Since Russia began its devastating war with Ukraine, Moscow has stepped up efforts to detain Americans in the hope of using them for prisoner exchanges amid rising tensions between the United States and Russia.

Although Karelina was not involved in the prisoner exchange, her lawyer Mikhail Mushailov expressed his hope to be considered in a future exchange, according to Reuters.

Karelina was arrested in January during a family visit to Russia

Karelina's arrest, announced on February 20, came as a shock to her family and friends in the United States, who said she had never been interested in political activism, according to Reuters.

Born in Russia, Karelina immigrated to the United States in 2012 as part of a study and work program to train as a ballerina, according to the website www.freeksenia.com. She moved from Baltimore to Los Angeles in 2017 and worked at a spa in Beverly Hills before becoming an American citizen in 2021.

Karelina was initially arrested on hooliganism charges in January after she flew to Russia to visit her family in Yekaterinburg, including her 90-year-old grandmother, freeksenia.com reports. While she was detained for 15 days, FSB authorities interrogated Karelina and searched her cellphone, finding a 2022 Venmo donation to Razom for Ukraine.

Shortly before Karelina was to be released, she was accused of treason.

The FSB announced the arrest the following month, accusing Karelina – whose name the FSB did not disclose – of “providing financial support to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of our country.”

Contributors: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Reuters

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

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