INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
"treason" on Thursday after she allegedly donated around $50 to a pro-Ukraine charity.Karelina was arrested in January while visiting her
family in the city of Yekaterinburg
Last week, her lawyer said she pleaded guilty to treason charges during a closed hearing."The court found Ksenia Karelina guilty of high
treason and sentenced her to 12 years imprisonment at a medium-security prison," the Sverdlovsk Regional Court said Thursday.Karelina, a
33-year-old ballerina and spa employee in Los Angeles, was accused of donating around $50 to the New York-based charity Razom shortly after
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.Russia's FSB security service claimed the money was "used to purchase tactical medical supplies,
equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces."Razom, which provides humanitarian aid and disaster relief to Ukrainians
Karelina's case was being handled by the same judge who sentenced United States journalist Evan Gershkovich to prison for espionage last
month before his release in a prisoner swap.Washington later on Thursday denounced the sentencing against Karelina."It's nothing less than
We're talking about 50 bucks to try to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ukraine and to call that treason is just absolutely
ludicrous," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.AFP contributed reporting.
