A ballet dancer from Los Angeles is being detained in Russia on treason charges. Here’s what to know.

Russia’s major home intelligence company has arrested a woman with twin U.S. and Russian citizenship on prices of treason, accusing her of gathering cash for the Ukrainian military. Authorities didn’t identify the lady, however her longtime employer in California recognized her as Ksenia Khavana, whose maiden identify is Ksenia Karelina.

The Federal Safety Service stated in a press release early Tuesday that the Los Angeles resident was arrested within the Ural Mountains metropolis of Yekaterinburg, about 1,100 miles east of Moscow. She had returned to Russia to go to household.

Here’s what is understood about Khavana and Russia’s case in opposition to her.

Who’s Ksenia Khavana?

Khavana, 33, is a citizen of the U.S. and Russia.

The unbiased Russian information outlet Mediazona recognized her as Ksenia Karelina, her maiden identify, and stated that she had obtained U.S. citizenship after marrying an American.

Isabella Koretz, proprietor of Ciel Spa on the SLS Beverly Hills the place Khavana has labored for eight years, informed The Related Press that Khavana, a ballet dancer, got here to the U.S. to check on the College of Maryland in Baltimore earlier than relocating to Los Angeles.

She stated Khavana is divorced and doesn’t have any family members within the U.S. Koretz stated she has grown near Khavana through the years and treats her like “she’s household.”

In keeping with Koretz, Khavana tried to see her household in Russia a minimum of annually, normally round Christmas and New Yr’s. This yr, Koretz stated, Khavana flew into Russia from Istanbul in early January for a two-week journey to spend time together with her 90-year-old grandmother, dad and mom and youthful sister.

Koretz grew involved when Khavana stopped returning her messages and cellphone calls after getting into Russia. She stated panic set in when Khavana in the end didn’t return from her journey in mid-January as deliberate.

“This lady is like an angel,” Koretz stated. “You must perceive that she would not harm a fly.”

What’s she accused of?

CBS Information correspondent Imtiaz Tyab reported that Khavana was arrested after making a donation of solely about $51 to a Ukrainian charity. The Russian authorities additionally stated she had attended pro-Ukraine rallies within the U.S.

Russia’s Federal Safety Service alleges that Khavana had been “proactively” elevating funds for a Ukrainian group since February 2022 — cash that it says was “subsequently used to buy tactical drugs, tools, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

The company stated she additionally took half in “public actions” within the U.S. in assist of Kyiv. It didn’t present additional particulars in regards to the allegations.

Koretz stated Khavana really was gathering funds for humanitarian help and had made a donation to Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit that claims it offers medical kits and catastrophe aid to these affected by Russia’s invasion of the nation.

“We’re speaking about diapers and method, that is what she was gathering cash for,” Koretz stated. “We’re not speaking about cash for weapons.”

In its personal statement Tuesday, the nonprofit’s CEO stated she was “appalled” by media reviews of the arrest however didn’t identify Khavana or affirm whether or not the lady had beforehand donated to the charity.

The group stated in an e-mail to The Related Press that it doesn’t disclose the identities of its donors to guard their privateness.

“Razom calls on the U.S. authorities to proceed to do all the things in its energy to demand that President Putin launch all these unjustly detained by Russia and to carry Russia’s political and army management accountable for his or her unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” Dora Chomiak stated in her assertion.

The place is she now?

White Home nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby stated that the White Home and the State Division have been conscious of reviews of the arrest and added that “we are attempting to get extra info and to safe some consular entry to that particular person.”

The Federal Safety Service says that she has been ordered detained as a “preventative measure” whereas it continues its investigation.

Koretz stated that Khavana, in the meantime, has been speaking together with her colleagues on the spa by means of letters and has requested them to assist her promote her belongings in Los Angeles, together with her automotive.

“She does not need to depart anyone together with her money owed,” Koretz stated.

If convicted of treason underneath article 275 of the Russian Prison Code, Khavana faces as much as 20 years in jail.

Khavana’s former mother-in-law Eleonora Srebroski tells CBS Information that, within the wake of Russian opposition chief Alexey Navalny’s death in prison, she’s afraid of what may occur to her. 

“I am very, very involved about her, about her bodily wellbeing,” Srebroski informed CBS Information on Tuesday. “We all know that Navalny was simply killed a couple of days in the past. We all know it wasn’t only a demise. It was the homicide.”

“I’m in shock,” she informed CBS Information, including that there was “no justice in Russia by any means.”

Information on Tuesday of Khavana’s arrest got here the identical day a courtroom within the Russian capital dominated to maintain Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in custody pending his trial on espionage prices that he denies.