A U.S.-Russian ballerina, Ksenia Karelina, has been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony in Russia for “high treason” after allegedly transferring funds to a Ukrainian charity during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022. Karelina, who was visiting family in Russia, donated $51.80 to the charity, according to a statement posted by a spa where she previously worked. The donation was said to have been used to purchase medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces. Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, admitted her guilt during a closed trial in Yekaterinberg and was also fined 300,000 Rubles ($3,361). This sentencing follows a crackdown on dissent in Russia since the beginning of the war with Ukraine, with several Western citizens being detained. Recently, Russia released four U.S. residents in a prisoner exchange, including a Wall Street Journal reporter and an American corporate security executive. Karelina had come to the U.S. to study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore before relocating to Los Angeles. The verdict will come into force in 15 days unless appealed by the parties involved.
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