In a highly contentious trial, a Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, an amateur ballerina with dual American and Russian citizenship, to 12 years in prison for treason. The verdict was handed down after Karelina was found guilty of donating $51 (£39) to a charity supporting Ukraine.
Details of the trial
Karelina, who had been living in Los Angeles and became a US citizen in 2021, pleaded guilty last week following a trial held behind closed doors. She was arrested in January during a family visit to Yekaterinburg, approximately 1,000 miles east of Moscow. Prosecutors had initially sought a 15-year jail term, but the court sentenced her to a general regime penal colony.
Accusations and charges
The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia accused Karelina of raising funds for a Ukrainian organization allegedly providing arms to the Ukrainian military. The charity, Razom, expressed its dismay at Karelina’s arrest. “We are appalled to hear of the amateur ballerina’s arrest,” a Razom spokesperson said.
Karelina’s trial took place in June, in the same court that convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for espionage. Gershkovich was released earlier this month in a major prisoner swap involving the US and other countries.
The sentencing comes amid a tense geopolitical climate
Her boyfriend, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, described the trial as deeply distressing. “I could not for the life of me put myself in her shoes and just even imagine what she is going through,” he said.
This sentencing comes amid a tense geopolitical climate, further straining US-Russia relations. The case highlights the risks faced by individuals with dual citizenship and the complexities surrounding charitable contributions in politically charged environments.
Karelina’s imprisonment underscores the severe repercussions of actions perceived as hostile by the Russian government, marking another chapter in the fraught narrative between Russia and entities associated with Ukraine.