On Thursday, August 8, the Russian prosecutor requested a 15-year prison sentence for Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina for allegedly treason against Russia. Karelina was accused of donating $51.80 to a charity organization supporting Ukraine.
Karelina, 33, a former amateur ballet dancer born in Russia, immigrated to the United States in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. She returned to Russia on January 2 this year to visit her 90-year-old grandmother, parents, and sister in Yekaterinburg. The sentencing, initially set for August 8, has been postponed to August 15.
According to reports from Reuters, Karelina is currently undergoing trial in Yekaterinburg, where both the prosecutor and defense lawyers are presenting their final arguments.
Prior to her arrest by the Russian Federal Security Service on February 8, the accusations against Karelina stemmed from her donation to a Ukrainian charity organization called Razom while she was in the U.S. The donation was made on the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The donation of $51.80 was traced back to Karelina through her phone records, and the Kremlin identified the ultimate beneficiary as the Ukrainian military. Razom, the charity organization, expressed shock over Karelina’s arrest.
Razom’s official website indicates that the organization supports various humanitarian projects, including providing aid packages, stoves, generators, radios, and vehicles to frontline medical staff in Ukraine.
Additionally, Razom assists war-affected Ukrainian children and vulnerable communities by offering provisions such as food, shelter, psychological support, and clean water.
The Russian Federal Security Service accused Karelina of participating in “public activities in support of the Kyiv government” during her time in the U.S., claiming her actions posed a threat to Russia’s security.
In a recent historic prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia, several detained American citizens were released, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, but Karelina was not among them.
The U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated in February that Russia does not recognize dual citizenship, emphasizing that individuals are primarily considered Russian citizens by the Russian government. He also pledged U.S. assistance in cases of wrongful detainment of American citizens.
Following Karelina’s arrest, her former mother-in-law Eleonora Srebroski urged Russia to release her and allow her to return to the U.S. Srebroski mentioned that although she was unaware of Karelina’s donation to any Ukrainian organizations, she believed Karelina had a compassionate nature and would extend help to those in need.