| Ksenia Karelina | |
| Native Name: | Ксения Карелина |
| Native Name Lang: | ru |
| Birth Place: | Yekaterinburg, Russia |
| Citizenship: | Russia United States |
| Alma Mater: | Ural Federal University |
| Occupation: | Ballet dancer |
| Criminal Status: | Serving prison sentence |
| Criminal Charges: | Treason |
| Criminal Penalty: | 12 years imprisonment |
Ksenia Karelina (born 1991) is a Russian-American ballet dancer who has been imprisoned for treason by the Russian government.[1] [2] The FSB accused Karelina of taking part in "public actions to support the Kyiv regime"[3] for donating $51.80 to a charity supporting Ukraine. She was originally facing life in prison as a result, but was instead sentenced to 12 years.[4] [5] Karelina was not released as part of the extensive 2024 Russian prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States.[6]
Karelina was born in Yekaterinburg, Russia.[7] Karelina emigrated to the United States in 2012 and became a citizen in 2021.[8] She resided in Los Angeles.[9]
Karelina was arrested in early 2024 while visiting her family in Yekaterinburg and charged with treason by the Russian government for sending $51.80 to Razom, a New York City-based nonprofit organization that sends humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. She made a single transfer on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Razom denied claims by Russia's FSB that it collects money for weapons and ammunition. Her boyfriend Chris Van Heerden said he does not understand how Russian authorities knew about her donation, adding that Karelina believed she was in no danger before traveling to Russia.[10]
Her trial began on June 20, 2024 and she admitted guilt on August 7.[11] On August 15, 2024, she was sentenced by the regional courts of Sverdlovsk and Yekaterinburg to 12 years in prison.[12] Karelina was sentenced by Judge Andrei Mineev, the same judge who previously sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.[9]