Yekaterinburg: On Thursday, a Russian court sentenced Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-American citizen, to 12 years in prison for treason. The court found her guilty of donating funds to a charity that supports Ukraine.
Karelina, a 33-year-old spa worker from Los Angeles, pleaded guilty at a closed trial in Yekaterinburg. This court had previously convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage in July.
Investigators revealed that on February 24, 2022—the day Russia invaded Ukraine—Karelina had “transferred funds to a Ukrainian organization,” which were later used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces for tactical medical supplies, equipment, and ammunition.
Her supporters assert that she donated $51.80 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based charity providing humanitarian aid. The charity has denied any military support to Ukraine.
Karelina appeared in court wearing a white sweatshirt and blue jeans, remaining calm in a glass courtroom cage. Although she was not part of a recent major prisoner swap that included Gershkovich, her lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, hopes for her inclusion in a future exchange.
Originally from Russia, Karelina moved to the United States in 2012 through a work-study program and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. She was arrested by the FSB security service after returning to Russia earlier this year to visit family in Yekaterinburg.
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Problems began upon her arrival in Russia with her U.S. passport. Authorities interrogated her, discovering the 2022 donation on her Venmo account to Razom for Ukraine. The FSB interrogated her weekly and restricted her movement within the city.
Three days before her scheduled return to Los Angeles, Karelina faced hooliganism charges and was jailed for 15 days. Shortly before her release, she was charged with state treason. In Russia, acquittals for serious crimes are rare.
Karelina’s U.S. family and friends have expressed shock at her arrest, describing her as politically indifferent. Her boyfriend, Christopher van Heerden, has been working with the State Department and the U.S. embassy in Moscow to secure her release.
Unlike Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Karelina has not been designated by Washington as “wrongfully detained,” a designation that could facilitate diplomatic negotiations for her release.
