A former ballerina who spent greater than a yr in a Russian prison for donating £40 to a charity supporting Ukraine has returned house to the United States after being freed in a prisoner trade.
Ksenia Karelina landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at round 11pm, native time, on Thursday.
A smiling Ms Karelina used to be greeted at the runway by means of her fiance, the pro boxer Chris van Heerden, and given plants by means of Morgan Ortagus, President Donald Trump’s deputy particular envoy to the Center East.
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Symbol: Ksenia Karelina arrives at Joint Base Andrews. Pic: AP
Van Heerden mentioned in a remark he used to be “extremely joyful to listen to that the affection of my lifestyles, Ksenia Karelina, is on her approach house from wrongful detention in Russia.
“She has persisted a nightmare for 15 months and I will not wait to carry her. Our canine, Boots, could also be eagerly looking forward to her go back.”
He thanked Mr Trump and his envoys, in addition to distinguished public figures who had championed her case, together with Dana White, a chum of Mr Trump and CEO of the Final Preventing Championship (UFC).
Ms Karelina, 34, a US-Russian citizen additionally recognized as Ksenia Khavana, used to be accused of treason when she used to be arrested in Yekaterinburg, in southwestern Russia, whilst visiting circle of relatives in February closing yr.
Investigators searched her cell phone and located she made a $51.80 (£40) donation to Razom, a charity that gives support to Ukraine, at the first day of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
She admitted the price at a closed trial within the town in August closing yr and used to be later jailed for 12 years, to be served in a penal colony.
At a cupboard assembly on Thursday, Mr Trump, who needs to normalise members of the family with Moscow, mentioned the Kremlin “launched the younger ballerina and he or she is now out, and that used to be excellent. So we admire that”.
Symbol: Ksenia Karelina is hugged by means of her boyfriend, Chris van Heerden. Pic: Reuters
He mentioned the discharge adopted conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian safety products and services accused her of “proactively” amassing cash for a Ukrainian organisation that used to be supplying tools to Kyiv’s forces.
The First Division, a Russian rights workforce, mentioned the fees stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a US charity helping Ukraine.
Washington, which had referred to as her case “completely ludicrous”, launched Arthur Petrov, who it used to be retaining on fees of smuggling delicate microelectronics to Russia, within the prisoner switch in Abu Dhabi.
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Karelina used to be amongst a rising selection of American citizens arrested in Russia in recent times as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the conflict in Ukraine.
Her liberate is the most recent in a chain of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the United States performed within the closing 3 years – and the second one since Mr Trump took workplace.
White Area nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz mentioned contributors of the Trump management “proceed to paintings across the clock to make sure American citizens detained out of the country are returned house to their households”.
