The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said he was doing everything he could to find out more details about the arrest of Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina.
Karelina, an American citizen, was arrested on treason charges in January by Vladimir Putin's notorious Domestic Security Service (FSB), officials confirmed on Tuesday.
A video published by a Russian news agency shows the 32-year-old ballerina being led into a courtroom blindfolded. However, it is unclear when the video was recorded.
“Reports of the recent arrest of Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina on treason charges are troubling,” Jim Risch, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Ranking Committee, said in an exclusive statement to .
“Putin is so afraid of the Russian people learning the truth about his brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine that he is willing to use any means necessary to silence dissent,” the Idaho Republican said.
“I will do everything I can to find out the details of Ms. Karelina’s arrest and ensure that the United States supports her during this dangerous time,” the senator continued.
A statement from Russian officials described Karelina as a Los Angeles resident
In particular, she is accused of transferring $51.80 from an American bank account to the Ukrainian charity Razom
Vladimir Putin's secret security forces, the FSB, have arrested 32-year-old Russian-American lookalike Ksenia Karelina on treason charges, officials confirmed Tuesday. She appeared in court blindfolded
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, told he is working to determine more information about Karelina's arrest
The American ballerina is accused of treason in Russia for sending just $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity. She faces 20 years in prison.
According to her close friend and employer Isabella Koretz, Karelina, who works at a spa in Beverly Hills, California, traveled to Russia on January 2 to visit her family.
She was arrested immediately after landing in Moscow, “interrogated for 13 hours” and thrown into a freezing prison cell with two other women, Koretz told exclusively.
“She’s not a politician, she’s a beautician,” said Koretz, 47, who runs Ciel Spa in Beverly Hills. “She’s just a super sweet person and wanted to help.”
“She flew from Istanbul to Russia.” And she was arrested as soon as she arrived.'
“They arrested her, held her there and interrogated her for about 13 hours. “Then they released her, but they shuttled her back and forth to prison.”
Koretz told that after Karelina did not return from her trip after two weeks, she learned that the ballerina had been arrested.
“In one of the last arrests before her detention, they asked her to come to a public place and said they wanted to talk to her about something – then several authorities, including the FSB, arrested her publicly,” the Kur president said.
“Every time she appears before the judge, the judge extends her sentence.”
Karelina is accused of collecting donations for a pro-Ukrainian charity. She posted this picture when she was granted US citizenship in 2021
On her Facebook page, Karelina says that she is from Yekaterinburg, Russia, and studied ballet at the SP Diaghilev School
The charge of high treason is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 20 years
The White House is also trying to find out more about Karelina's arrest.
“We are trying to obtain more information and secure consular access to this individual,” White House spokesman John Kirby told in a briefing on Tuesday.
He also warned every American citizen, including those with dual Russian citizenship, to leave the country immediately.
“I want to reiterate our very strong warnings about the danger that exists for U.S. citizens in Russia. “So if you are a U.S. citizen, including a dual citizen, living or traveling in Russia, you should leave the country immediately.”
“Of course, it goes without saying whether you are a U.S. citizen or have a U.S. passport and have not traveled to Russia but are thinking about traveling there and we of course urge you not to do so,” added he added.
The dancer is accused of “proactively collecting funds in the interests of a Ukrainian organization since February 2022, which were subsequently used to purchase tactical medicines, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the FSB claims.
“In addition, the citizen in question repeatedly participated in public actions in support of the Kiev regime during his stay in the United States,” the agency added, reports the Moscow Times.
Karelina is the youngest American behind bars in Russia, joining Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Texas father David Barnes, 65, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison for child abuse in Moscow last week.
On the same day that Karelina's arrest was announced, Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court, where his pre-trial detention was extended.