In a move that has drawn international attention and raised concerns about the Russian legal system, a Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina, to 12 years in prison for donating a small sum of money to a US-based charity supporting Ukraine.
The 33-year-old Karelina was charged with treason after donating just over $50 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based non-profit organization. She was arrested in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg earlier this year while visiting her grandparents. The trial was held behind closed doors at the Sverdlovsk regional court, with investigators accusing Karelina of using the money to purchase equipment and ammunition for the Ukrainian army.
Karelina pleaded guilty to the charges, but her lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, has vowed to appeal the verdict. He told Russian reporters that he believes the timing of the conviction, coming just two weeks after the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War, is suspect.
The prisoner exchange involved 24 individuals, including American nationals Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who had been detained in Russia. Before the verdict, Mushailov expressed hope that Karelina could be included in a future prisoner swap deal. However, he acknowledged that such an exchange is unlikely until the court verdict is finalized.
Karelina’s story has garnered international attention, with many expressing concern about the harshness of the sentence and the potential use of the case for political purposes. Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, told CNN that Karelina was a Los Angeles resident and an amateur ballerina who had become a US citizen in 2021. He described her as a proud Russian who had no knowledge of or involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The trial took place in the same court in Yekaterinburg where journalist Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison last month. Both cases were presided over by Judge Andrei Mineev.
The case has raised concerns about the state of freedom of expression and the treatment of individuals perceived as supporting Ukraine in Russia. The conviction of a ballerina for a small donation highlights the potential for arbitrary justice and the chilling effect it can have on individuals and organizations supporting Ukraine.
