U.S.-Russian citizen stands trial in Russian court on charges of treason
Thirty-three-year-old Ksenia Karelina, a resident of LA and an enthusiastic ballet dancer who gained US citizenship in 2021, found herself in hot water while visiting her grandparents in Yekaterinburg earlier this year. The authorities accuse her of dishing out $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in the States, as per her workplace – a spa in Beverly Hills, California.
Her trial commenced Thursday morning, but spectators will be kept at bay. If found guilty, she could spend up to two decades behind bars.
Karelina's lover, Chris Van Deerden, informed CNN that he had gifted her a trip to Russia for her birthday, asserting that she was proud of her Russian heritage and paid no attention to the news or the ongoing conflict.
"I've got faith America will return her to me," Van Heerden shared.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claims Karelina was involved in actions promoting the Kyiv regime. The recipient of the alleged donation, the New York-based charity Razom for Ukraine, expressed shock over her detainment.
Karelina isn't the only American citizen languishing in Russian prisons. Other captives include journalists and ex-soldiers.
This week, the authorities confirmed Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter and the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, will stand trial on June 26.
Like Karelina's trial, Gershkovich's hearing will take place in Yekaterinburg, where he was apprehended over a year ago, and spectators won't be allowed.
explode: Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist, highlights that the FSB is using these American prisoners as hostages with US passports, which can be employed as bargaining chips in any interactions with Washington.
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Despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Karelina's lover stated that she was proud of her Russian heritage and often visited Europe.
The detention of Karelina and other American citizens in Russia has sparked concern within the international community, including European governments.
