American Citizens Detained In Russia For Violence Against Police Cases

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - A citizen of the United States (US) was detained in Russia for a case of violence against a police officer.

The Interfax interior news agency reported this information citing the country's Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes.

The crime was committed on August 12, Interfax reported, quoted by Reuters, Wednesday, August 14.

US citizens face up to five years in prison according to Russian criminal law

Earlier in another legal case, Russian prosecutors demanded a 15-year prison sentence against Ksenia Karelina, a woman with dual Russian-American citizenship.

Karelina is considered to have committed treason for making donations of more than 50 US dollars (equivalent to Rp795 thousand) to a charity that supports Ukraine.

Los Angeles spa employee pleaded guilty in his trial in the city of Yekaterinburg. Court press service said Karelina submitted a closing request to the judge on Thursday, August 8 and will be sentenced on August 15.

Karelina was not included in the massive prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries last week.

But his lawyer Mikhail Mushailov said his client hoped to be included in the next prisoner swap.

"The exchange is not possible until the court's ruling comes into effect," Mushalov told reporters.

"After the verdict, of course we will work in that direction," he said.

Karelina was born in Russia but moved to the United States in 2012 and became a US citizen in 2021. She was arrested by the FSB security service after flying to Russia to visit her family in Yekaterinburg in early the year.

Investigators filed treason charges after finding on their cellphones that Karelina donated 51.80 US dollars to Razom, a charity that provided assistance to Ukraine, when Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.

The FSB accused the main beneficiaries of being Ukrainian soldiers.