A Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-US citizen, to 12 years in prison for treason over a donation she made to a charity that helps Ukraine.
The Sverdlovsk Regional Court announced the sentence on Thursday after prosecutors had asked the judge to jail Ms Karelina, 33, for 15 years. The Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, accused her in February of collecting funds for the Ukrainian army, Russia’s state-run Tass news service reported.
A resident of Los Angeles, Ms Karelina was detained during a family visit to the city of Yekaterinburg.
She pleaded guilty on August 7 and hopes to be released in a future prisoner exchange with the US, her lawyer Mikhail Mushailov said, according to Tass.
"We continue to be aware of reports of an American citizen and dual national American citizen that had a sentencing today in Russia," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said on Thursday.
He condemned the Kremlin's "escalating domestic repression".
"As it relates to this particular case, we continue to raise this [issue] directly with the Russian government and continue to seek consular access," Mr Patel said.
The case revolved around a donation of about $50 that Ms Karelina allegedly made in 2022 to a US-based charity providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, according to the Pervy Otdel group, a human rights project run by a team of lawyers and journalists, which didn’t say where it got the information.
The FSB claimed the money was used to aid the Ukrainian military, without offering any evidence, in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
"I just want to be incredibly clear about something, donating to a non-profit organisation, donating to an NGO, supporting the Ukrainian cause and supporting the Ukrainian people as they defend themselves against Russian aggression, especially doing so on American soil, is not a crime," Mr Patel said.
The closed-door trial took place in the same courthouse where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges.
Mr Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and a group of jailed Russian dissidents were freed in a prisoner exchange involving Russia, the US and several European countries on August 1.
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)