Additional Coverage:
- Russian-American ballerina who was arrested on treason charges after $51 Ukraine donation faces closed-doors trial (newsbreak.com)
A Russian-American ballerina, who was charged with “high treason” in Russia for donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity, is undergoing a private trial in Russia. Ksenia Karelina, a naturalized U.S. citizen as of 2021, could face a punishment ranging from 12 years to a life sentence if convicted, according to Reuters.
Her trial, which is not open to the public, commenced this Thursday in Yekaterinburg. An announcement on the court’s website indicated that the proceedings have been paused until August 7, though no reason for this delay was provided.
Karelina, 33, found herself under arrest in February, accused of treason for her donation of $51.80 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based organization offering non-military support to Ukraine. Her donation coincided with the day Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the time, Karelina was establishing her life in Los Angeles, employed at a high-end hotel spa in Beverly Hills.
Her life took a dramatic turn on January 28 when she was detained during a family visit to Russia, an arrest that has since provoked international condemnation. The Federal Security Service of Russia justified her arrest by claiming she had gathered funds used to support the Ukrainian military with medical supplies, equipment, and munitions.
Chris Van Deerden, Karelina’s boyfriend, expressed to CNN that Karelina had no involvement with the war efforts. “I believe America will bring her back to me,” he stated hopefully.
Following her detention, reports surfaced indicating she had been held for 14 days for breaching public order, prior to her treason charges. Karelina and Van Deerden were celebrating the new year in Istanbul before deciding to part ways, with him returning to the U.S. and her traveling to Russia.
Van Deerden shared with The Los Angeles Times his regrets about her trip to Russia, citing concerns over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite his apprehensions, he gifted her a ticket for her birthday in December, a decision he now deeply regrets.
Following her arrest, the charity she donated to condemned the action and urged the U.S. government to secure her release, along with others unjustly held by Russia, and to hold accountable the responsible Russian officials for their unprovoked aggression toward Ukraine.