A Russian-American woman, Ksenia Karelina, has gone on trial for alleged treason in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Karelina, 33, is accused of raising funds for the Ukrainian military, a charge that could result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years if she is convicted.
Karelina, who works as an aesthetician at a Beverly Hills spa, was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in January while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg. According to her employer, the accusation stems from a $51.80 donation she made to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based nonprofit that provides non-military assistance to Ukraine.
The trial, which began Thursday morning, is being held behind closed doors, as is customary in Russian treason cases. A short video released by the court shows Karelina sitting in a glass cage, wearing jeans and a green plaid shirt, faintly smiling as reporters took photographs. The next hearing is scheduled for August 7.
Karelina's former mother-in-law, Eleonora Srebroski, told Reuters that Karelina had traveled to Russia around New Year's after her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, bought her a plane ticket as a birthday gift. Srebroski said Karelina had assured her boyfriend that it was safe to visit her family in Russia. Initially detained under a minor "petty hooliganism" statute, the charges were later elevated to treason.
This is Ksenia Karelina.
A ruSSian woman who moved to the USA and married an American man.
Recently she was arrested in ruSSia and faces 21 years in prison.
Her crime?
Raising $41 for Ukraine whilst living in the US.
ruSSia doesn’t tolerate dissenting opinions.
It locks… pic.twitter.com/jz6Z0nxaPj — Fellaraktar (@fellaraktar) February 21, 2024
Van Heerden expressed his confidence in the U.S. government's ability to secure Karelina's release. "I believe America will bring her back to me," he told CNN. He described Karelina as someone who was proud to be Russian and largely apolitical, adding that she did not engage with news about the war.
The Razom for Ukraine organization, which received Karelina's donation, expressed its shock at her detention. "We are appalled by the charges against her," the nonprofit said in a statement.
Karelina's case is one of several involving American citizens detained in Russia amid heightened tensions over the Ukraine conflict. Notably, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is also facing espionage charges in Yekaterinburg, with his trial set to begin on June 26. Both trials will be presided over by Judge Andrei Mineev, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
The timing of these trials highlights the precarious situation for Americans in Russia, as the FSB continues to crack down on those perceived to be supporting Ukraine. Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov told CNN that the FSB's actions are part of a broader strategy to accumulate "a bank of hostages with American passports," which can be used as leverage in negotiations with the United States.
Karelina's story is particularly poignant given her journey from Russia to the United States. She arrived in the U.S. in 2012 via a work-study program and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. Her social media profiles depict a life far removed from political turmoil, with images of beach trips and gatherings with friends. One photo from November 2021 shows her smiling and waving a small American flag, captioned "Citizenship."
Despite her seemingly apolitical life, Karelina now finds herself at the center of a geopolitical struggle. Her trial, along with those of other detained Americans, serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by foreign nationals in Russia amidst the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
