US-Russian Citizen Karelina Sentenced to 12 Years for Treason in Russia

Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian citizen, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Russian court on charges of treason. The charges stem from a donation of just over $50 that Karelina made to a charity supporting Ukraine in 2022. The court in Yekaterinburg found her guilty of high treason and sentenced her to a general regime penal colony. Karelina, who had been living in Los Angeles and was visiting family in Yekaterinburg when arrested, pleaded guilty at her trial last week.

Karelina's supporters assert that she donated $51.80 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based charity that provides humanitarian aid, which denies any military support to Kyiv. The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Karelina of collecting funds for the Ukrainian army. She was initially detained in January for "petty hooliganism" but remained in custody as authorities upgraded the charges to treason. Her sentencing follows the conviction of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges by the same court. Karelina's hopes now lie in a potential future prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States.