A court in Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains region, sentenced U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in prison on Thursday for “treason.” She was accused of donating approximately $50 to a pro-Ukraine charity.
Karelina was arrested in January while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg. Last week, her lawyer confirmed that she pleaded guilty to treason charges during a closed hearing.
“The court found Ksenia Karelina guilty of high treason and sentenced her to 12 years in a medium-security prison,” announced the Sverdlovsk Regional Court on Thursday.
Karelina, a 33-year-old ballerina and spa employee based in Los Angeles, was accused of donating around $50 to the New York-based charity Razom shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia’s FSB security service alleged that the money was “used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces.”
Razom, which provides humanitarian aid and disaster relief to Ukrainians affected by the war, called on U.S. authorities to demand Karelina’s release from Russia.
Treason cases in Russia are typically held behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the information involved.
Earlier, the independent broadcaster Sotavision reported that Karelina’s case was overseen by the same judge who sentenced U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to prison for espionage last month, prior to his release in a prisoner swap.
Washington condemned Karelina’s sentencing later on Thursday.
“It’s nothing less than vindictive cruelty. We’re talking about $50 intended to alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and to label that as treason is utterly ludicrous,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby to reporters.
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