Russia sentences US citizen to 12 years imprisonment for donating to Ukraine charity

A Russian court has sentenced dual U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in prison for treason, Russian independent media outlet Mediazona reported on Aug. 15.

Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles, was arrested in Russia earlier this year while visiting her grandparents. Russian authorities charged her with treason because she donated $51.80 to the nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine.

Russia claimed she had provided funding to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Karelina's trial began June 20 at a court in Yekaterinburg and was held behind closed doors. Her lawyer said on Aug. 7 that she pleaded guilty to the charge.

Karelina was not included in a major prisoner exchange that occurred on Aug. 1. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza were all released as part of the swap.

According to the local media outlet Vecherniye Vedomosti, Karelina was sentenced by Andrey Mineyev, the same judge who sentenced Gershkovich in July, shortly before the swap took place.

The prosecution asked for Karelina to be sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Razom for Ukraine responded to Karelina's arrest in February that it was "appalled by reports that a U.S.-Russian dual national has been arrested by Russian authorities for purportedly making a charitable donation" to the organization.