20 February 2024 , 09:41
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Vladimir Putin's FSB security service has detained a US woman with joint Russian citizenship on suspicion of "high treason" - after raising £40 for the Ukrainian army.
Ksenia Karelina, 33, was held in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of raising funds for the Ukrainian army and now could be jailed for 20 years.
She was seen with her eyes covered as she was taken into custody by the Federal Security Service [FSB]. Karelina is a resident of Los Angeles - believed to be married to an American - and received US citizenship in 2021.
Ksenia was detained on a trip back to Russia, where she completed university, to see her parents. The woman is seen ushered into a car by an armed FSB special services officer wearing a balaclava - and later appears behind bars in a courtroom. She has been detained in a pretrial detention jail.
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She was seen with her eyes covered as she was taken into custody (Ria Novosti/e2w)"The Federal Security Service in Yekaterinburg suppressed the illegal activities of a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles, who has dual citizenship of Russia and the United States," reported Russian state news agency TASS.
She was allegedly "involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state”. In addition, she is accused of repeatedly participating in public events in support of Ukraine in the US.
Ksenia was detained on a trip back to Russia, where she completed university, to see her parents (Ria Novosti/e2w)The crime of treason carries a hefty punishment of up to 20 years in jail in Russia. Karelia is suspected by the Russians of collecting money for a Ukrainian organisation since February 2022, the month Putin invaded Ukraine and started a war that has seen hundreds of thousands killed and maimed.
This organisation was allegedly helping the Ukrainian military. Karelia is a graduate of the Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg. Political scientist Fyodor Krasheninnikov said with reference to mutual acquaintances: “She came to mom and dad.
She is accused of repeatedly participating in public events in support of Ukraine in the US (Zuma Press/PA Images)“She probably supported Ukraine a couple of times on social networks, maybe she collected something there.”
He said: “If you participated in any anti-war protests, wrote something on social networks, or, especially, donated to Ukrainians or encouraged them to do this, think a hundred times. Do you really need to go to Russia urgently? A second passport will not save you from anything.”
Russia has arrested other US nationals, namely Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, in his case on bogus espionage charges. Earlier this month, Putin hinted in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that "an agreement can be reached" on Gershkovich.