In addition to granting $51 to Ukraine, Russia is sentenced to 12 years in prison

A Russian court in Jekaterinburg has sentenced the American-Russian citizen Ksenia Carelina to 12 years in prison after finding him guilty of treason. It was found guilty of transferring 51 US dollars to a Ukrainian charity association early in 2022.

The decision was submitted by Judge Andrei Mineyev, after prosecutors sought 15 years in prison for Karelian, who is also known for her wedding name, Khavana.

Karelina's lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said she has admitted to making this donation, but the legal team plans to appeal the decision.

The decision was filed a day after a court in Moscow sentenced an American citizen identified as Joseph Tutter to 15 years in prison. He was found guilty of hooliganism.

Carelina, 33, had moved to the United States in 2015, married an American citizen and obtained American citizenship in 2021.

She was arrested in Jekaterinburg in January, under suspicion of hooliganism.

However, on February 7 she was charged with treason after investigators learned that on the second day of Ukraine's Russian occupation in February 2022, she had transferred $51 to Razom, a Ukrainian relief group helping war - stricken civilians.

Lawyer Mujailov said prosecutors found evidence of this donation to his client's phone.

In February, Razom's cofounder, Dora Chomiyak, called on the American government “to continue doing everything to seek out [Russian president Vladimir] Putin releases all the unjustly arrested in Russia”.

Mineyev said that in Karelina's case, it was the same judge who sentenced American journalist Evan Gershkovich in July to 16 years in prison under spying charges.

Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich was included in the exchange of prisoners on August 1st, when she was released by Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, former American businessman Paul Whelan, and several Russian imprisoned dissidents.

According to human rights groups, almost 900 Russians have been convicted of treason, spying or co-operation with foreign governments since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. /rel