Latest news with #PerviyOtdel
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Russia sentences photographer to 16 years for treason
MOSCOW: A Russian court said on Thursday it had sentenced a photographer to 16 years in jail for treason after a closed-door trial, without giving details of the charges. Grigory Skvortskov, 35, said while in pre-trial detention he had given a US journalist a book about Soviet bunkers and other material -- but that the information was declassified and publicly available online. Russia has escalated a crackdown on rights at home since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Alongside targeting opponents and critics of the Kremlin, authorities have become increasingly suspicious of journalists, scientists and academics with ties to the West. The Perm Regional Court said it had 'sentenced him (Skvortsov) to 16 years' imprisonment in a strict regime penal colony'. It said he had pleaded not guilty to treason. The trial was carried out behind closed doors -- typical for treason cases in Russia -- and prosecutors have not publicly outlined the case against Skvortsov. In a written interview with Russian rights group Perviy Otdel ('Department One') conducted while he was in custody, Skvortsov said investigators had questioned him about sending a book about Soviet-era bunkers to an unnamed US journalist, along with other architectural plans and photos. He said the book and other materials were publicly available online and feature only declassified material. Skvortsov, who specialises in architecture photography, has spoken out publicly against Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine. He alleged FSB officers beat him during his arrest in November 2023 and said they tried to force him under duress to admit guilt to treason.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ballerina who was imprisoned by Russia after $52 donation to Ukraine charity has returned to U.S.
A Russian American woman who spent more than a year imprisoned in Russia over allegations of financially supporting Ukraine's military returned to the United States on Thursday night after a prisoner exchange. Ksenia Karelina, a former ballerina who had been living in Los Angeles, was arrested in Russia in February 2024 and sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for 'high treason.' The plane carrying Karelina touched down at 10:56 p.m. at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. She was smiling as she exited the plane's steps and embraced her fiancé, Chris van Heerden, who was waiting outside the jet. Van Heerden gave his coat to Karelina in the 50-degree night air and put his arm around her as they walked away from the plane. "Mr. Trump, I'm so, so grateful for you to bring me home and for American government," Karelina said in video recorded by Trump administration official Sebastian Gorka. "And I never felt more blessed to be American, and I'm so, so happy to get home." The Russian legal group Perviy Otdel and the U.S. spa where Karelina worked said she was arrested because of a $51.80 donation to a charity that provides aid to Ukraine. Karelina was freed in a prisoner exchange with the United States, the State Department said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said she had been wrongfully detained by Russia. Early Thursday, the special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler, posted a picture of Karelina on a plane headed to the United States and holding an American flag. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has never provided many details of Karelina alleged crime. It claimed that the donation 'was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces.' Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, an attack that U.S., Europe and other nations have condemned as an unprovoked act of aggression. Karelina donated to the charity that same day. Freed in the exchange was Russian national Arthur Petrov, the State Department said. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported that Karelina was released Thursday, reported that Petrov is a dual German-Russian citizen who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at the request of the U.S. for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
L.A. ballerina imprisoned by Russia for treason has been freed
A Russian-American woman who was imprisoned for treason by Russia has been freed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday. Former ballerina Ksenia Karelina was born in Russia but had built a new life as an aesthetician at a Los Angeles spa after immigrating to the United States over a decade ago. She 'is on a plane back home to the United States,' having been 'wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year,' Rubio said on in a post on X. He credited President Donald Trump with securing her release. Karolina's lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, confirmed her release in a statement on Instagram. 'Two hours ago she was in touch with her relatives and took off from Abu Dhabi to the U.S.,' he wrote, adding that he had known about her release since Tuesday. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Karelina in January 2024 while she was visiting her parents and young sister in the city Yekaterinburg. It did not provide further details or evidence of her alleged crime. At the time, Russian legal group Perviy Otdel said it had information that Karelina had donated just over $51.80 from her U.S. bank account on Feb. 24, 2022 — the day that Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — to a charity that sends aid to Ukraine. A spa where she had previously worked confirmed this in a statement on Facebook. Although Russia's FSB did not confirm that figure, it said Karelina's donation 'was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces.' She was sentenced in August to 12 years in a penal colony for 'high treason,' having 'fully admitted her guilt' at a closed trial in the southwestern Russian city of Yekaterinberg, Sverdlovsky Region Court said in a news release at the time. The sentence came against the backdrop of Russia's 3-year-long war with Ukraine during which President Vladimir Putin's government has cracked down on dissent. Any perceived criticism of the military is banned. Her release was first reported by The Wall Street Journal which said she was freed in exchange for the release of Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen arrested in Cyprus in 2023 at the request of the U.S. for allegedly exporting sensitive microelectronics. The FSB later confirmed the swap in a statement. Karelina's freedom comes almost exactly two months after American teacher Marc Fogel returned to the U.S. after he spent 3½ years in prison for a minor medical cannabis infraction. Fogel had been teaching in Russia before authorities picked him up while he was carrying 17 grams of the drug at Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow. He had been prescribed medical cannabis in the U.S. for backpain, but the drug is illegal in Russia and he was sentenced to 14 years. Fogel had remained in Russian custody even as U.S. authorities won freedom for other high-profile American detainees, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former-Marine Paul Whelan, and WNBA star Brittney Griner. Welcoming Karelina's release, a CIA spokesperson said in a statement that the exchange showed 'the importance of keeping lines of communication open with Russia, despite the deep challenges in our bilateral relationship.' 'Much of the swap was negotiated by the U.S. government, with CIA playing a key role engaging with Russian intelligence,' the spokesperson said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
10-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
L.A. ballerina imprisoned by Russia for treason has been freed, Rubio says
A Russian-American woman who was imprisoned for treason by Russia has been freed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday. Former ballerina Ksenia Karelina was born in Russia but had built a new life as an aesthetician at a Los Angeles spa after immigrating to the United States over a decade ago. She 'is on a plane back home to the United States,' having been 'wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year,' Rubio said on in a post on X. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Karelina in January 2024 while she was visiting her parents and young sister in the city Yekaterinburg. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August. At the time, Russian legal group Perviy Otdel said it had information that Karelina had donated just over $51.80 from her U.S. bank account on Feb. 24, 2022 — the day that Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — to a charity that sends aid to Ukraine. U.S. authorities have not confirmed the details of that alleged donation and NBC News was not able to independently verify the sum or the nature of the alleged donation.
