A Russian student artist has been sentenced to nine years in prison on treason charges for sending $30 to the Ukrainian army, the independent Mediazona news website reported Thursday, citing the court’s press service.
Tatiana Laletina, 21, was arrested in Tomsk, Siberia, in late February and charged with state treason, a crime punishable by 12-20 years in prison. The Tomsk Regional Court found Laletina guilty on June 28 following a closed trial, sentencing her to nine years, below the minimum requirement.
“I went back to my cell and rejoiced with happiness. Only nine years!” Laletina wrote to an unidentified friend in a letter she allowed to be shared with the Telegram news channel Govorit NeMoskva.
A drawing by Laletina in a letter sent to a friend from prison.
According to the letter, Laletina was initially accused of donating $10 to a Ukrainian fund on the first day of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. FSB agents discovered another $20 donation from April 2022 by accessing her phone.
“That’s how a 19-year-old helped a 21-year-old get into such a difficult life situation,” Laletina wrote to her friend.
Govorit NeMoskva reported that Laletina saw footage of her arrest aired on Russian television while she was in pre-trial detention. Her lawyer and mother declined to comment on the case.
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