Post by Admin on Feb 21, 2024 8:42:23 GMT
Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-American ballerina, has been placed under detention by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's Federal Security Service (FSB) on treasonous suspicion, according to reports released on Tuesday. Her arrest took place in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.
Several Russian news outlets have released a video showing 32-year-old Karelina being led into a courtroom in handcuffs with her face blurred. It's still unknown when the video was shot.
As per a Daily Mail, Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles who became a US citizen in 2021, used to share happy moments from her life in the United States on social media. Last summer, she married her American partner, whose identity is still unknown.
Karelina was first arrested for minor offenses, but later she was charged with aiding the military effort in Ukraine by reportedly transferring $51.80 from her American bank account to the Ukrainian charity Razom.
According to Moscow Times, the FSB said the Karelina is accused of “proactively collecting funds since February 2022 in the interests of a Ukrainian organization, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
“In addition, the citizen in question repeatedly took part in public actions in support of the Kyiv regime while in the United States,” the law enforcement agency added.
In Russia, treason accusations carry heavy jail terms and 63 people have been prosecuted with treason since 2023, and 37 of them have been found guilty.