Los Angeles woman arrested in Russia for treason

Tony Kurzweil
·1 min read
11

A Los Angeles resident accused of donating money to Ukraine has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of high treason.

The woman was identified as 33-year-old Ksenia Karelina by her employer at the Ciel Spa in the SLS luxury hotel in Beverly Grove.

Karelina was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) after allegedly donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in the United States, the Daily Mail reported.

Ksenia Khavana
Ksenia Khavana

Video from Russian state news agency RIA Novosti purports to show Karelina being detained and led away in handcuffs by the (FSB).

She was initially sentenced to 14 days detention for ‘petty hooliganism’ before being slapped with treason charges, according to the Daily Mail report.

Treason can carry a life sentence in Russia, Time reported.

Ksenia Karelina is seen in an image provided by her employer at the Ciel Spa in Beverly Grove.
Ksenia Karelina is seen in an image provided by her employer at the Ciel Spa in Beverly Grove.

Ciel Spa CEO Isabella Koretz told KTLA’s Lauren Lyster that they found out about Karelina’s arrest when she failed to show up for work in mid-January.

Koretz said that Karelina went to Russia to visit family and had worked at the spa for eight years

She said Karelina originally got her Visa to come to the U.S. as a ballet dancer.

The U.S. State Department does have a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Americans heading to Russia, citing wrongful detention as one of the risks.

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