Russian-American Ballerina Sentenced to 12 Years for Treason After $51 Donation to Ukrainian Charity
The judgment delivered by Russia to their American citizen Ksenia Karelina sentenced her to twelve years in a penitentiary colony on August 15, 2024 following her conviction for treason. A court sentenced Karelina following her transfer of $51.80 to an American organization which supported Ukrainian purposes.
Background and Arrest
Ballet dancer and spa worker Karelina moved from Russia to Los Angeles where she got U.S. citizenship in 2021 after she left her native country in 2012 when she was 32 years old. She made a trip to Yekaterinburg, Russia, to see her relatives during early parts of 2024. The Federal Security Service of Russia arrested her at that moment while charging her with treason.
Charges and Trial
According to the FSB Karelina willingly collected money on behalf of one Ukrainian organization to buy Ukrainian armed forces medical equipment as well as weapons and ammunition. The FSB used information about her $51.80 contribution to New York-based Razom for Ukraine to build treason charges against Karelina. Her legal proceedings started on June 20, 2024 while taking place entirely in private rooms. Karelina pleaded guilty on August 7, 2024. On August 15 the Sverdlovsk Regional Court based in Yekaterinburg issued a general regime penal colony sentence for twelve years to Karelina.
International Response
Human rights groups together with the U.S. government have criticized this judicial decision. Mr. John Kirby from the National Security team at the White House called the trial verdict combined with the harsh punishment "nothing less than vindictive cruelty" because the financial value was insignificant. He strongly disagreed with describing the situation as treasonous explaining that such an assessment was completely baseless. During a press conference the lawyer Mikhail Mushailov declared his intention to challenge the court decision by arguing that Karelina admitted to fund transfers although she never meant the money to support Russian enemies.
Prisoner Swap and Release
Russian prisoner Larisa Karelina gained freedom on April 10th 2025 within an official prisoner exchange deal between Russian and U.S. authorities. The prisoner exchange happened in Abu Dhabi through which the American authorities released Arthur Petrov who faced export charges for sending U.S. microelectronics to Russia when he held dual German-Russian citizenship. Head of the CIA John Ratcliffe conveyed his deep appreciation toward the United Arab Emirates for carrying out the exchange while commending his team at the CIA.
