Ballerina Ksenia Karelina – jailed in Russia after giving £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine – has been launched as a part of a prisoner change handle the USA.
The 34-year-old US-Russian citizen used to be accused of treason when she used to be arrested in Yekaterinburg, in southwestern Russia, in February final yr.
Investigators searched her cell phone and located that she made a $51.80 (£40) donation to Razom, a charity that gives assist to Ukraine, at the first day of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
She admitted the fee at a closed trial within the town in August final yr and used to be later jailed for 12 years.
Symbol: Pic: FSB
Mikhail Mushailov, Ms Karelina’s attorney, stated on Instagram that she were flown to the USA from Abu Dhabi within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio added that Ms Karelina “used to be wrongfully detained through Russia for over a yr,” and stated “President Trump secured her liberate… (and) will proceed to paintings for the discharge of ALL American citizens”.
Ms Karelina, an newbie ballerina, used to be born in Russia however moved to the USA in 2012 and changed into a citizen in 2021. She had moved to Los Angeles, the place she labored in a spa.
She were again in Russia visiting circle of relatives firstly of 2024 when she used to be arrested, consistent with rights staff The First Division.
Symbol: Pic: Reuters 
Symbol: Pic: AP
Russia’s Federal Safety Provider (FSB) claimed she had proactively accumulated the cash within the pursuits of some of the Ukrainian organisations.
It claimed the donation used to be “used to buy tactical clinical provides, apparatus, guns and ammunition for the Ukrainian military”.
The charity denies it supplies army reinforce to Kyiv, whilst the USA government have in the past known as the case in opposition to her “completely ludicrous”.
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German-Russian citizen launched in change
In change for Ms Karelina’s liberate, Arthur Petrov – who used to be arrested in 2023 for allegedly exporting delicate microelectronics – used to be launched.
The twin German-Russian citizen used to be detained in Cyprus on the request of the USA.
Closing yr, the USA Justice Division stated that Petrov participated in a scheme to acquire American-sourced microelectronics for producers supplying the Russian army.
