A U.S.-Russian ballet dancer who was not involved in last week’s mass prisoner exchange between Russia and the West reportedly pleaded guilty to a treason charge on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, Ksenia Karenina was seen in Yekaterinburg, Russia for the first time since the release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Arsu Kurmasheva on August 1 court.
Karelina, who holds dual citizenship and lives in Los Angeles, was detained in Russia in February while visiting family. Authorities claim that while in the United States, Karelina raised funds for the Ukrainian military and participated in “public actions” in support of Ukraine
Reuters quoted Russian state media reporting that Karelina’s lawyer said on Wednesday that she had pleaded guilty and that a verdict in the case was expected to be announced on Thursday.
Who was involved in the Russian prisoner swap: Assassins, hackers, suspected spies and more
In December 2015, Ksenia Karelina appeared in Maryland. (Eleonora Srebrowski/Handout/Reuters)
According to her former mother-in-law, Eleonora Sreborski, she told her boyfriend that Russia was safe and that he had no reason to fear her visits.
In Russia earlier this year, authorities reportedly inspected Karelina’s phone and photographed her attending an anti-Putin and anti-war protest in Los Angeles, holding a placard that read “We Want peace”.
Pro-Putin news outlets said the charge related to her sending a total of $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity and claimed that “she knew where and what she was sending.”
Flashback: Boyfriend of US ballerina detained in Russia says prisoner swap was ‘only bet’ to bring her home
Ksenia Karelina has previously appeared in court in Russia. (East to West)
Sreborsky claimed that Kalelina donated money, but the money was given to Ukraine’s Razom, which provides non-military aid to the country.
Shortly after her arrest, Karelina attempted to appeal her case, but the court denied the motion and extended her pretrial detention in a Siberian prison.
Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, said Ksenia Karelina was proud to be American and Russian. (Fox News)
Click here to get the Fox News app
According to Reuters, if convicted, she faces a sentence of 12 years to life in prison.
