(TheProudRepublic.com) – Highlighting the Russian crusade against Americans, a Russian court sentenced U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Khavana to 12 years in prison for treason after allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian military.
Khavana, who Russian authorities refer to by her maiden name Karelina, was arrested in Yekaterinburg in February, while she admitted her guilt in a closed trial last week.
Khavana obtained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American and moving to Los Angeles, but she had previously returned to Russia to visit her family.
Moreover, Russia’s Federal Security Service said she “proactively collected money in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations, which was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces.”
The rights group The First Department mentioned that the charges arose from a $51 donation to a U.S. charity supporting Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country has tightened its grip on dissent and passed laws that criminalize any criticism of the military operation and remarks seen as discrediting the Russian military.
In a major Russia-West prisoner exchange early this month, Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American corporate security executive Paul Whelan, who were imprisoned on espionage charges.
They also freed U.S.-Russian dual national Alsu Kurmasheva, a Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe journalist who was sentenced to six and a half years for spreading “false information” about the Russian military.
Furthermore, Russia released some top opposition figures who had been jailed for disapproving of the Ukraine military operation.
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