If you hadn’t already guessed, that would be in Russia. And the $51 was paid — not to anyone in Russia — but to a U.S. charitable fund for the benefit of Ukrainian victims of Vladimir Putin’s war against their country.

The generous donation was made by dual U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles, California, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. About two years later, in January of this year, she was visiting her family in Yekaterinburg, Russia, when she was arrested for “hooliganism” — specifically, swearing in public. She was later charged with, detained for, and ultimately convicted of treason, and sentenced to a 12-year prison term after it was found that she had transferred $51 to the Ukrainian aid charity.

Supporting — either physically, financially, or even verbally — any Ukraine-related organization is considered treason in Russia.

Karelina freely admitted having made the donation — which, as a U.S. citizen, was perfectly legal. Evidence of the donation was found on her cell phone only after she was arrested for the ludicrous “crime” of hooliganism, conveniently creating an opportunity for the Russian authorities to lodge the additional charge of treason against her. But her U.S. citizenship status, and the fact that the contribution was legally made in the United States, were ignored by the Russian court.

Following the original verdict, her attorney appealed, and the Second Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction entered its ruling yesterday . . . not surprisingly, upholding the guilty verdict and the 12-year sentence. [RFE/RL, November 11, 2024.]

A spokesman for the U.S. State Department, which has been aware of Karelina’s case from the very beginning, said that Russia “has a track record of … not recognizing their [dual nationals’] American citizen status and frankly being uncooperative when it comes to … meeting their obligations under consular conventions.” [Id.]

And so, Ksenia Karelina, a U.S. citizen, remains incarcerated in a Russian prison for committing an act — while on the territory of the United States — that is only considered illegal under a ludicrous Russian law that runs counter to every international standard of freedom of speech.

Ksenia Karelina has been on my hostage list for many months, and sadly will have to remain there for the foreseeable future. Whether the new incoming Trump administration will see fit to press for prisoner exchanges as has the Biden administration, only time will tell.

As citizens, it is our job to see that they do.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/12/24