Karelina is a 33-year-old esthetician who was born in Russia. She moved to the United States in 2012 and became a citizen in 2021.
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Karelina’s trial began on Thursday, June 20, and took place behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg, the outlets reported, while Reuters released a photo of her sitting in a cage at Sverdlovsk Regional Court.
Per CNN, the 33-year-old has been accused of donating $51.80 to the New York-based non-profit Razom. The human rights organization that supports Ukraine told the outlet it was ⁘appalled⁘ by what was happening to Karelina.
Prosecutors have accused Karelina of “proactively transferring funds to a Ukrainian organization, which the Ukrainian armed forces subsequently used to purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition,” the Moscow Times reported.
According to the AP and CNN, Karelina could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Citing Russian news agencies, the outlets reported Karelina’s next hearing has been set for Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Per NBC News , Karelina first came to the U.S. in 2012 through a work-study program. A U.S. official said the amateur ballerina became a citizen in 2021. She has since been working as an esthetician at a spa in Beverly Hills.
In a February interview with CNN , Karelina’s boyfriend, Chris Van Deerden, said that he bought her a ticket to her home country as a birthday gift. He claimed Karelina was “proud to be Russian,” adding that when it comes to Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, “she doesn’t watch the news; she doesn’t intervene with anything.”
While speaking to the The Independent earlier this year, Karelina’s former mother-in-law, Eleonara Srebroski, said that when it comes to her charitable donation, “she’s just that kind of person.”
