The Russian prosecutor's office today requested a sentence of 15 years in prison for Ksenia Karelina – a Russian-American citizen who is accused of high treason because of a donation to a charity organization supporting Ukraine, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The trial of Karelina, who was not included in last week's major prisoner swap between Russia and the West, is being held in the city of Yekaterinburg and is at a stage where the prosecution and defense are presenting their arguments.
The sentencing, which was expected to be today, has been postponed to August 15, a Reuters court reporter said.
Karelina was born in Russia but immigrated to the US in 2012 and became a US citizen in 2021. The woman, who works at a spa, was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSS) after she arrived in Russia , to visit his family in Yekaterinburg at the beginning of the year.
Investigators charged her with treason after they found on her cell phone that she donated $51.80 to “Reason” – charity to help Ukraine, after the Russian invasion of 2022. FSS claims that the ultimate beneficiary of the amount raised is the Ukrainian army.
During her arrest “Sense“ said she was "horrified". The organization's website said it supports several humanitarian projects, including the delivery of first aid kits, wood stoves, generators, radios and vehicles to Ukrainian medics on the frontline.
The organization also claims to help Ukrainian children and vulnerable communities affected by the war by providing them with food, shelter, psychological support and clean water.