Dual US citizen jailed in Russia for 12 years over 'treason'

MOSCOW, Russia

A Russian court on Thursday sentenced US-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in prison on charges of "treason." Karelina allegedly donated around $50 (€45) to a pro-Ukraine charity.

"The court found Ksenia Karelina guilty of high treason and sentenced her to 12 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony," the court in the city of Yekaterinburg said.

The 32-year-old ballerina had been living in Los Angeles in the US, but was arrested in January while she was visiting family in Yekaterinburg.

Russia's FSB security service said Karelina had collected money that had been "used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces."

Russian state media reported that she pleaded guilty to the charges last week.

The sentencing of the US-Russian citizen comes just two weeks after Russia released 16 prisoners with US and other Western citizenships, including US reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US marine Paul Whelan.

It was the biggest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War. 

Russia has been accused of repeatedly imprisoning citizens of Western states on trumped up charges in order to use them as bargaining chips. Several other foreigners remain stuck in Russian prisoners, along with Russian opposition figures.

The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has also brought tensions between Moscow and Washington to their highest point since the fall of the Soviet Union.