A Russian-American woman was arrested and charged with the crime of treason during a visit to her family in Russia earlier this year. The charges were brought against her on Thursday by the authorities, who alleged that she had been raising funds for the Ukrainian military.
Karelina, a Russian native who moved to the United States more than ten years ago and began working as a beauty therapist in Los Angeles, could face imprisonment for up to twelve years if found guilty.
The trial will be held behind closed doors, which is customary in such cases in Russia. Treason acquittals are rare.
A short video released by a court of Yekaterinburg shows Karelina sitting in a glass cage wearing jeans and green plaid shirt. She smiled slightly at journalists taking photos of her.
In an announcement on its website last Thursday evening, there was no explanation as to why the case has been adjourned until August 7th.
There are now over a dozen Americans imprisoned in Russia amid Moscow-Washington relations crisis. Ukraine war.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Karelina while visiting her parents and sister at Yekaterinburg in January
Her ex mother-in-law Eleonora Srebroski told Reuters that around New Year’s Eve Karelina had been travelling after being surprised by her boyfriend with plane ticket. Go home.
Moreover, she assured him that he had no reason to fear traveling there since according to Srebrowski Russia was ‘safe’.
After some time she was charged with treason under a “hooliganism” article – however initially Karelina simply got arrested.
Srebrowski explained that Karelina made small contribution towards Razom for Ukraine, non-profit organization based in New York City providing civilian help etc. Following what Moscow termed special military operation their troops invaded the country in 2022-
She came over here as part of a work-study program in 2012 and married Srebrowski’s son for a short while. Her former husband referred to her as a woman of fun, who had little interest in politics.
Karelina’s pages on social media show pictures of her on the beach or when travelling with friends but no political statements.
And there is a photo captioned “Citizenship” taken in November 2021 that shows her wearing a long dress, beaming and waving a tiny American flag.
