American-Russian ballerina Ksenia Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia on Thursday. Photo by Stringer/EPA-EFE
Aug. 15 (UPI) — Former ballerina Ksenia Karelina, who holds dual American-Russian citizenship, was sentenced on Thursday to 12 years in a penal colony for allegedly trying to raise money for the Ukrainian military.
Karelina, who lives in California, was arrested in Russia in January for supposedly organizing pro-Ukrainian rallies and posting messages against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Karelina, who also goes by Khavana, was sentenced in the Sverdlovsk Regional Court but plans to appeal.
Karelina’s attorney Mikhail Mushailov said he would seek an appeal of the verdict and look to have her request to be freed in a prisoner exchange fulfilled.
When asked about Karelina, following a prisoner swap that saw the release of Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and others State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said work will continue to free all Americans who are wrongfully detained.
“Let me be very clear that this government, this administration, is not going to stop working,” he said.
Karelina’s boyfriend Chris Van Heerden said he had been calling for her to be sent home for eight months, citing the exchange.
“There was a prisoner swap two weeks ago and Ksenia was not on that list,” he said. “Ksenia should be home, and I’m angry, and I’m trying to hold my composure.”
Russian prosecutors had called for a 15-year penal colony sentence for Karelina for high treason for donating $51 to a charity that supported Ukraine. The charity she donated to, Razom for Ukraine, said it does humanitarian aid work and was “appalled” that it was used in the arrest of Karelina.
She was arrested in Yekaterinburg, the same city where Gershkovich was arrested and charged with espionage last March. He was recently freed in a massive multi-nation prisoner swap.
Karelina was in the city visiting her elderly parents when she was taken into custody.