Not surprisingly, the court in Yekaterinburg, Russia, found Ksenia Karelina guilty of high treason today, sentencing her to twelve years in a “general regime” penal colony for having made a contribution of $51.80 — while living in the United States in 2022 — to a New York charitable organization benefitting the people of Ukraine.

A dual U.S.-Russia citizen, she was visiting family in Yekaterinburg in January of this year when she was detained for “petty hooliganism” — charged with allegedly swearing in a public place. (What constitutes “swearing” in today’s Russia is not clear.) While in detention, her cell phone was searched and officials found the transaction in her bank records. Under Russia’s onerous new laws, Karelina — still holding her Russian citizenship — was then accused by the FSB (formerly KGB) of “raising money for a Ukrainian organization providing arms to the Ukrainian military.”

At her trial earlier this month, Karelina truthfully admitted to having made the contribution, which the court immediately interpreted as a confession of guilt. The prosecutor had asked for a sentence of fifteen years; the court “magnanimously” gave her twelve.

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The offending charitable organization — Razom (which means “together” in Ukrainian) — was formed in 2014 to, in their words, “contribute to the establishment of a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. We achieve this by creating, inspiring, and collaborating on initiatives that motivate people to think, partner and do.” They do not supply Ukraine with weapons.

But the court said that investigators had found that on February 24, 2022 — the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — Karelina had “transferred funds in the interests of a Ukrainian organisation, which were subsequently used for the purchase of tactical medicine items, equipment, means of defeat and ammunition by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” [Reuters, August 15, 2024.]

In Russia, it is whatever they say it is.

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Two weeks ago today, an historic prisoner swap involving seven countries was concluded, and sixteen political prisoners were released by Moscow in exchange for eight of their spies and hardened criminals. It seems that now the sixteen vacancies in Russia’s GULAG of penal colonies must be filled with new prospects for the next swap. When that will be, is anyone’s guess.

And meanwhile, Ksenia Karelina — along with fellow Americans Marc Fogel, Robert Woodland, Gordon Black, Robert Gilman, David Barnes, Eugene Spector, and Michael Travis Leake — wait for their miracle.

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The U.S. State Department has reiterated its warnings to Americans not to travel to Russia, and for those who may already be there, to leave . . . and the sooner the better.

I should think that would be obvious to anyone with a brain.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/15/24