Social Media Reacts To U.S. Ballerina's 'Harsh' 12-Year Jail Term In Russia Over $51 Donation To Ukrainian Charity

Ballerina Ksenia Karelina has been sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in a Russian general regime colony. The Russian-born American ballerina pleaded guilty to the charges of high treason brought against her, which her family, employer, and partner have insisted that she's innocent of.

The high treason charges were based on Karelina's donation to a Ukrainian humanitarian organization, which authorities claim was used to fund their ongoing war.

Now, Ksenia Karelina's lawyer hopes she will be included in a future prisoner swap, just like the exchange that released Evan Gershkovich.

Karelina, the American ballerina charged with treason in Russia, was given a 12-year prison sentence in a general regime colony. The Russian-born dancer moved to Los Angeles and obtained citizenship after marrying an American.

According to the Daily Mail, Karelina was arrested in Yekaterinburg in February when she returned for a visit to relatives, including an aging grandmother.

After being charged with high treason against the state, Karelina was detained and taken to trial at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court.

Since her arrest, her family, friends, and current partners have appealed for her release. Her employer, the Ciel Spa at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, also posted about her arrest on Facebook in February and claimed that Kareline had been "wrongly accused."

When Karelina arrived in Russia through Koltsovo airport, she was checked by law enforcement officials, which included her gadgets and luggage.

The police searched the keyword "Ukraine" on her phone, allegedly leading them to evidence of a bank transfer Karelina made to a pro-Ukrainian foundation in America.

According to news reports, Karelina pleaded guilty to the high treason charges at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court.

A statement released by the court read, "The court found Ksenia Karelina guilty of high treason and sentenced her to 12 years imprisonment in a general regime colony."

The claims against Karelina originated from her donation to a Ukrainian humanitarian organization. She allegedly donated $51.80 to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based charity that provides humanitarian aid to children and elderly people in the war-torn country.

According to Russia's Federal Security Service, Karelina "transferred funds in the interests of a Ukrainian organization, which were subsequently used for the purchase of tactical medicine items, equipment, means of defeat and ammunition by the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

Karelina's donation came on February 24, 2022, which was the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is still an ongoing war. Razom for Ukraine has since insisted that it does not provide any military support to Kyiv.

People on social media have reacted with shock at the lengthy prison sentence handed to Karelina over her $51 donation to a Ukrainian charity.

One person wrote, "A harsh sentence over such a minor act highlights severe political tensions and the crackdown on dissent in Russia."

Another stated, "This seems a bit over the top ... but i can understand the Russian authorities reasoning, they want to set an example."

A third noted, "That's such a shocking and severe punishment for something that seems so minor. It's deeply troubling to see how political tensions are affecting individuals, especially in such harsh ways."

"This is a shocking overreach of power," a fourth person commented. "Jailing someone for a small donation to a charity is absolutely outrageous."

With Karelina's conviction, she joins a number of Americans who have been incarcerated in Russia for various reasons. The 33-year-old ballerina missed the slots for the major prisoner swap that was held between Russia and the West last week.

However, her lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said she hopes to be included in any future prisoner exchanges. Unfortunately, it's not clear when such exchanges would take place, as there's a strained relationship between Russia and Western countries.

The court at Yekaterinburg was the same court that convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage in July.

He was one of the Americans released in the major prisoner swap, along with former US marine Paul Whelan and 14 others. It was the biggest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War.