Free Ksenia
#FreeKsenia
On January 2nd 2024, 32-year-old dual US and Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina traveled to Russia to visit her 90-year-old grandmother for the first time in years. Three days before she was scheduled to return home, she was arrested. Ksenia is currently in a Russian jail, facing a possible life sentence for trumped-up treason charges.
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Ksenia In The News
“I am appealing to the Russian government to be the responsible actor here. It was a mistake to arrest her. Please let her go. Show the world you are better than being afraid of my ballerina. The Ksenia I know is not a threat to the Russian Federation.”
Chris van Heerden, Ksenia’s Boyfriend
Ksenia’s Story
Coming to America
Ksenia Karelina, a 32-year-old dual US and Russian citizen resides in Los Angeles, CA. She moved with her childhood friend Kristina from Russia to the Baltimore area in 2012, where she pursued dance as a ballerina.
In 2017, Ksenia relocated to Los Angeles, working as a receptionist at the luxury Ciel Spa at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. On July 28, 2021, she obtained her US citizenship. In 2022, Ksenia graduated from esthetician school. Her boss and colleagues have been some her biggest supporters since she was arrested, and promise her old job is waiting for her.
Ksenia loves to travel to US national parks, hikes, does yoga every Sunday and takes boxing classes. She is a kind and generous woman who is very close to her family. Since her arrest, her boyfriend Chris has been the lead advocate for Ksenia, coordinating everything we do to support Ksenia and bring her home.
Russia For The Holidays
Chris surprised Ksenia over Christmas and New Year’s with a vacation to Istanbul. His gift also included a flight for her to Russia so that Ksenia could visit her family. On January 2nd, Ksenia flew to Russia while Chris returned to Los Angeles.
Ksenia traveled to Russia to visit her 90-year-old grandmother, sister, and parents, intending to return to Los Angeles after two weeks. The last time she had visited her family in Russia was in 2021.
Ksenia was detained within 12 hours of arriving at Yekaterinburg airport on January 2, which is approximately 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Moscow, the same location where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich had been arrested the previous year. When Russian officials learned she had a US passport along with her Russian one, she was singled out, interrogated, and had her phone confiscated. They searched her Venmo account and found she had made a $51.80 donation to a US-based nonprofit that helps children and elderly who have been impacted by the war in Ukraine. It has nothing to do with supporting the military.
The FSB (Russian State Security) mandated weekly check-ins, during which they would interrogate Ksenia for 1-2 hours at a time. Additionally, they imposed a travel ban, confining her to Yekaterinburg.
Three days before Ksenia was scheduled to return home to Los Angeles, she informed Chris that she was going to meet with officials to "sign documents and retrieve her phone."
Incarceration
Ksenia was initially held on hooliganism charges, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 days.
On day 15, she was charged under Article 2751 for “state treason” for donating $51.80 to Razom, a New York-based nonprofit organization that gives humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The FSB accused her of “proactively collecting funds in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine items, equipment, weapons, and ammunition by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” The website where Ksenia donated is focused on providing support and medical assistance for civilians. It says nothing about providing military support to Ukrainian forces in the war with Russia.
On April 28, 2023, Vladimir Putin signed a decree formally increasing the maximum sentence for treason to life in jail, part of a drive to suppress dissent since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Ksenia appeared by video link in Sverdlovsk Region Court in Yekaterinburg and was denied an appeal of charges against her in a Russian court on February 29. The court has continued to extend her pre-trial detention.
Because Ksenia is a naturalized US citizen, Russia has an obligation to allow the US Embassy to visit her. But they didn’t even notify the Embassy of her arrest until February 8 and they have not allowed consular access and have not allowed an Embassy representative to attend her court appearances. This is a violation or her due process rights. Her family in Russia is not allowed to attend her court hearings – only her lawyer is allowed.