Russian Justice
A Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-US citizen, to 12 years in prison for treason over a donation she made to a charity that helps Ukraine.
The Sverdlovsk Regional Court announced the sentence on Thursday after prosecutors had asked the judge to jail Ms Karelina, 33, for 15 years. The Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, accused her in February of collecting funds for the Ukrainian army, Russia’s state-run Tass news service reported.
A resident of Los Angeles, Ms Karelina was detained during a family visit to the city of Yekaterinburg.
The case revolved around a donation of about $50 that Ms Karelina allegedly made in 2022 to a US-based charity providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
The FSB claimed the money was used to aid the Ukrainian military, without offering any evidence, in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
The Sverdlovsk Regional Court announced the sentence on Thursday after prosecutors had asked the judge to jail Ms Karelina, 33, for 15 years. The Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, accused her in February of collecting funds for the Ukrainian army, Russia’s state-run Tass news service reported.
A resident of Los Angeles, Ms Karelina was detained during a family visit to the city of Yekaterinburg.
The case revolved around a donation of about $50 that Ms Karelina allegedly made in 2022 to a US-based charity providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
The FSB claimed the money was used to aid the Ukrainian military, without offering any evidence, in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
