Ksenia Karelina, 33, was arrested on Jan. 27, according to Russian state media.
LONDON — Ksenia Karelina, a dual American-Russian citizen, is expected to appear on Thursday in a courtroom in Siberia to appeal her detention on charges of treason.
Karelina, 33, has been held in a jail in Yekaterinburg, Russia, since her arrest on Jan. 27, according to Russian state media.
A former ballerina who lives in California, Karelina holds both U.S. and Russian citizenship. She was jailed for allegedly organizing fundraisers for Ukraine’s military, attending pro-Ukraine rallies, and posting messages against Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Russian state media.
In this undated photo provided by Ksenia Leonteva, Los Angeles-based esthetician Ksenia Khavana, whose maiden name is Ksenia Karelina, is pictured in her medical scrubs.
AP
A U.S. official said diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow were working to learn more and gain access to Karelina.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby last week urged U.S. passport holders to “depart immediately” from Russia.
“So if you’re a U.S. citizen, including a dual national, residing in or traveling in Russia, you ought to leave right now if you can,” Kirby said following the arrest.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Molly Nagle and Shannon K. Crawford contributed to this report.
