Ksenia Karelina was denied an appeal of charges against her in a Russian court on Thursday. She is a 32-year-old dual U.S.-Russian citizen.
The crime Ksenia is accused of committing is treason. The charge was brought against her because she made a small donation – $50 – to a charity that aids Ukraine. She was arrested on January 27.
Ksenia is a resident of Los Angeles. She moved to the United States in 2013 after graduating from college in Russia. She became a U.S. citizen in 2021 when she married an American citizen. She previously was a student at the University of Maryland. She is an amateur ballerina and currently works as an aesthetician in a Beverly Hills, California spa.
She appeared by video link in Sverdlovsk Region Court in Yekaterinburg, where she was arrested. Ironically, Yekaterinburg is the city where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested last…
