Russia Jails US-Russian Ballerina for 12 Years for $51 Donation to Ukraine Charity

On August 15, Ksenia Karelina, a 32-year-old ballet dancer and spa worker, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The court found Karelina guilty of treason for donating $51.80 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based charity.

Karelina, who holds dual US and Russian citizenship, donated on February 22, 2022, the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused her of supporting a Ukrainian organization that allegedly supplied military equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces. However, the charity, Razom for Ukraine, has denied providing military aid, stating it focuses solely on humanitarian assistance.

The FSB discovered the donation on Karelina’s phone, leading to her arrest in January 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg. Initially, she was detained for “petty hooliganism,” but the charges were upgraded to treason following the FSB’s investigation.

Karelina pleaded guilty at a closed trial held last week. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence, but the court ultimately imposed a 12-year term, sentencing her to a general regime penal colony. Her lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, announced plans to appeal the verdict.

Karelina’s boyfriend, boxer Chris van Heerden, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the US government, criticizing its failure to secure her release during a recent major prisoner swap. “Ksenia should be home, and I’m angry,” van Heerden told CBS News. He has advocated for Karelina to be declared “wrongfully detained” to facilitate her inclusion in future diplomatic negotiations.

The US has accused Russia of using such cases to secure the release of Russians convicted abroad. The sentencing comes shortly after Russia’s significant prisoner swap on August 1, which freed Americans including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. However, despite this high-profile exchange, Karelina was not among those released.

Karelina’s case is just one of the increasing treason charges in Russia since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. Human rights activists report that over 1,000 criminal cases have been opened against anti-war dissidents in Russia. Last year, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree raising the maximum penalty for treason from 20 years to life imprisonment.

Similar cases have involved other dual citizens and foreign nationals, including the recent case of dual German-Russian citizen Kevin Lik, who was sentenced to four years for treason in July 2024.

Karelina’s supporters continue to push for her release, hoping for future diplomatic efforts and potential prisoner exchanges.