A Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, a 33-year-old Russian-American, to 12 years in prison for treason. The charges stem from a donation she made of just over $50 to a U.S.-based charity that supports Ukraine.
Karelina, who pleaded guilty, was arrested earlier this year in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while visiting her grandparents. The verdict was delivered on Thursday following a closed trial at the Sverdlovsk regional court. Investigators claimed that Karelina’s donation was intended to help buy equipment and ammunition for the Ukrainian military.
Karelina’s defense attorney, Mikhail Mushailov, announced plans to appeal the decision. He indicated that they hoped for her inclusion in a future prisoner exchange.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, criticized the sentence as “vindictive cruelty,” questioning how such a minor donation could be considered treasonous.
This conviction follows a recent significant prisoner swap between Russia and the West, which involved 24 individuals, including former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Mushailov noted that any potential exchange for Karelina could only proceed once the court’s verdict is final.
Karelina, a U.S. citizen since 2021 and a resident of Los Angeles, had traveled to Russia in January to visit family. Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, expressed his frustration and sadness over the situation, especially given that Karelina was not included in the recent prisoner swap.
The New York-based non-profit Razom for Ukraine, which received Karelina’s donation, expressed its shock and dismay at her detention.
This sentencing follows an April 2023 law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin that increased the maximum sentence for treason to life imprisonment. Karelina’s trial was conducted in the same court where Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage last month, with both cases overseen by Judge Andrei Mineev.