Russian Court Sentences US-Russian Woman to 12 Years for $50 Ukraine Donation
Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian citizen, has been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for “high treason” after donating $51.80 to a pro-Ukraine charity. Her appeal against the sentence, issued in August and condemned by the US as “vindictive cruelty,” was rejected by a Russian court on Monday. The 32-year-old ballet dancer and spa worker was arrested in January 2024 during a visit to her family in Russia. Karelina is one of several US citizens and dual citizens imprisoned in Russia, prompting accusations from Washington that Moscow is holding them for potential exchange with Russians convicted abroad.
John Q. Hosedrinker