US-Russian woman jailed for 12 years in Russia for treason

1 month ago 5

Sverdlovsk regional court press service Ksenia Khavana at Sverdlovsk Regional Court (file pic)Sverdlovsk regional court press service

A Russian court has sentenced amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in jail for treason for donating $51 (£39) to a charity supporting Ukraine.

Karelina, who has American and Russian citizenship, pleaded guilty last week after a trial held behind closed doors.

Ksenia Karelina had been living in Los Angeles and became a US citizen in 2021. She was arrested during a family visit last February in Yekaterinburg, about 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Moscow.

Prosecutors had sought a 15-year jail term. The court in Yekaterinburg found her guilty of high treason and sentenced her to imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.

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