A dual United States-Russian citizen was sentenced to 12-years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to treason related charges at a closed trial in a Yekaterinburg.
Ksenia Khavana was accused by Russia's Federal Security Service of making a $52 donation to Razom, a New York-based charity that reportedly provides disaster relief to individuals affected by Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The 33-year-old former ballet dancer and Los Angeles area resident was charged in February after Russian authorities seized her cellphone shortly after arriving in the country for a January trip to visit relatives in the region.
Investigators alleged that the contribution, made while she was at her home in California, “proactively collected money in the interests of one of the Ukrainian organizations, which was subsequently used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons, and ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby denounced the ruling, describing it to reporters as "nothing less than vindictive cruelty."
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