US citizen faces 12 years in prison in Russia for helping Ukraine through charitable donations

Recently, a Russian-American citizen, Ksenia Karelinawas sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Russian court for treason. Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles, was found guilty of donating money to a charity that supports Ukraine.

What happened: Karelina was convicted of transferring money to a Ukrainian organization in February 2022, the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The funds were allegedly used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment and ammunition by the Ukrainian armed forces, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Karelina's supporters claim she donated $51.80 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based charity that provides humanitarian aid to children and the elderly in Ukraine. The organization denies providing military support to Kyiv.

Karelina, who was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States in 2012, was detained by the FSB security service when she flew to Russia earlier this year to visit her family in Yekaterinburg.

See also: Trump rams iceberg: Céline Dion and Sony say use of Titanic theme song will not continue

Her lawyer Mikhail Mushailov expressed the hope that she could be included in a future prisoner exchange between Russia and the West.

Why it is important: This development follows a recent prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States, in which Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who were imprisoned on espionage charges.

The exchange was celebrated as a “big victory” by US team center and WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was released from Russian custody earlier this year as part of a similar exchange.

Karelina's case joins a long list of people caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tensions, raising concerns about the safety and rights of dual nationals travelling to unstable regions.

Did you know?

Photo: Courtesy of sakhorn via Shutterstock

This story was created with Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari