Joe Biden and Kamala Harris just reached a hostage deal. But another crisis has popped up.
As a new American hostage situation has created a massive new headache for Biden and Harris.
Russian Court Sentences Russian-American Woman to 12 Years for Treason Over Charity Donation
A court in Russia has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, a 33-year-old Russian-American woman, to 12 years in prison on charges of treason. The sentencing, which was announced Thursday, follows her guilty plea to charges related to a modest donation of just over $50 to a U.S.-based charity supporting Ukraine.
Karelina, who had been visiting her grandparents in Yekaterinburg, Russia, was detained earlier this year. The verdict was delivered after a closed trial at the Sverdlovsk regional court that concluded last week. According to RIA Novosti, investigators accused Karelina of using her donation to aid in the procurement of equipment and ammunition for the Ukrainian military.
Karelina’s defense attorney, Mikhail Mushailov, has announced plans to appeal the decision. He expressed hopes that Karelina could be included in future negotiations for prisoner exchanges.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, criticized the sentence as an example of “vindictive cruelty.” Kirby described the 12-year prison term as “absolutely ludicrous” given the minor size of the donation intended to alleviate human suffering.
“We’re talking about 50 bucks to try to alleviate the suffering of people and to call that treason, is just absolutely ludicrous.” Kirby said.
Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American spa worker, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Russian court after she was found guilty of treason for donating $51.80 to a charity supporting Ukraine https://t.co/8NlzwcloRU pic.twitter.com/DmEFWaVocj
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 15, 2024
This conviction comes shortly after a significant international prisoner swap, the largest since the Cold War. The swap, which involved at least seven countries, included the release of 24 individuals, among them former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Mushailov had hoped Karelina might be part of such a swap but acknowledged that an exchange would not be possible until the court’s verdict is final.
Karelina, a Los Angeles resident and amateur ballerina who became a U.S. citizen in 2021, had traveled to Russia in January to see her grandparents. Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, expressed deep frustration over the situation, calling the sentence “ridiculous” and voicing his anger at her exclusion from the recent prisoner swap. Van Heerden shared his distress, stating that the situation felt surreal and expressed his commitment to supporting Karelina.
In a letter to Karelina, Van Heerden reassured her of the love and support she has from those back home, underscoring that America has not forgotten her.
The charity Karelina donated to, Razom for Ukraine, based in New York, has expressed its shock and dismay over her detention.
This case is notable as it follows an April 2023 change in Russian law under President Vladimir Putin, which extended the maximum sentence for treason from 20 years to life imprisonment. The crackdown on dissent has intensified over the past two-and-a-half years of conflict.
Karelina’s trial was held in the same Yekaterinburg court where Evan Gershkovich was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage, before his release as part of the recent prisoner swap. Both cases were overseen by Judge Andrei Mineev.
Foreign Policy Continues To Be A Thorn In Biden-Harris Admin’s Side
The hostage crisis on the watch of the Biden-Harris administration has been spiraling out of control. Every move they make to cut deals with enemies to release Americans being held hostage is countered by America’s enemies taking another bold move to hold more Americans hostage.
The Biden-Harris administration just got done cutting a giant deal with Russians to let a Wall Street Journal journalist, Evan Gershkovich, go free from the Russian prison sentence he was given. The cost of this deal included the release of spies who were working for the Russians.
Now, on the heels of that move that some criticized saying it gave the Russians what they wanted, another American citizen gets smacked with the iron fist of the brutal Russian government.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
