A ballet dancer with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship who was absent from the recent large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Western nations has confessed to a treason charge on Wednesday, according to reports.
Ksenia Karelina appeared in a Yekaterinburg court for the first time following the release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva on August 1, as reported by Reuters.
Karelina, who resides in Los Angeles, was detained during a family visit to Russia in February. Officials allege that she funded the Ukrainian military and participated in “public actions” advocating for Ukraine while in the United States.
On Wednesday, Karelina’s attorney announced that she has pleaded guilty, and a ruling in her case is anticipated to be declared on Thursday, as cited by Russian state media, according to Reuters.
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Ksenia Karelina is depicted in Maryland in December 2015. Reports suggest she pleaded guilty to a treason charge in a Russian court on Wednesday. (Eleonora Srebroski/Handout/Reuters)
According to her former mother-in-law Eleonora Sreborski, Karelina reportedly assured her boyfriend that Russia was safe and that he shouldn’t worry about her visit.
While in Russia earlier this year, authorities examined Karelina’s phone and found images that seemed to show her participating in an anti-Putin and anti-war demonstration in Los Angeles, where she held a placard reading, “We want peace.”
One pro-Putin media outlet claimed the treason charge stemmed from a donation she made to a Ukrainian charity totaling $51.80, arguing, “she knew precisely where and what she was supporting.”
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Ksenia Karelina is shown during a prior court appearance in Russia. (East2West)
Sreborski contended that Karelina’s donation was made to Razom for Ukraine, an organization that provides non-military assistance to the nation.
Following her arrest, Karelina attempted to appeal the case, but the court dismissed her plea and prolonged her detention in a Siberian jail.
Chris Van Heerden, her boyfriend, asserts that Ksenia Karelina is proud of her American and Russian identities. (Fox News)
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If convicted, she could face a sentence ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment, according to Reuters.
