Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American dual citizen, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of high treason. Karelina, who moved to Los Angeles and obtained U.S. citizenship in 2021, donated $51 to a Ukrainian charity organization.
The prosecution had ought a 15-year in jail, in the trial held behind the close doors. Karelina had been accused by Russia’s FSB security service of raising money for a Ukrainian organisation which provides weapons to the Ukrainian military.
However, the charity, Razon for Ukraine, denied the allegations, said, they are a U.S.-founded organization focusing on humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
Russian human rights activists said while living in the US she had made a single transfer of $51.80 on 22 February 2022-the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The FSB reportedly discovered this transaction on her phone.
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said Karelina had only admitted transferring the money and believed the funds would help victims on both sides. He told Russian media she would appeal against the sentence.
