The trial of U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina (married name Khavana) in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg began with the judge ruling that the proceedings on a treason charge will take place behind closed doors.
Judge Andrei Mineyev, who is scheduled to try another U.S. citizen, Evan Gershkovich, later this month on an espionage charge, handed down his ruling Karelina's case on June 20.
The 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles was arrested in February during a visit to her native Yekaterinburg after security officers accused her of sending $51.80 from her U.S.-based bank account to the Razom for Ukraine foundation, which helps Ukrainian civilians.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) said at the time that it suppressed the illegal activities of a U.S.-Russian citizen who was "involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of our country."
Washington has repeatedly criticized Russia for targeting and arresting U.S. citizens, accusing Moscow of detaining them as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians being held in U.S. prisons.
In late March last year, the FSB in Yekaterinburg arrested Gershkovich on espionage charges that he, his employer The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. officials reject a groundless.
Another U.S. citizen, former Marine Paul Whelan, is also being held in Russia on espionage charges. Whelan and the U.S. government reject the charges as politically motivated. While Gershkovich is still in pretrial detention, Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020.
A third U.S. citizen, RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who also holds Russian citizenship, has been in pretrial detention since October 2023 on charges of violating the so-called "foreign agent" law and spreading false information about the Russian military. The U.S. government and her employer say the charge is in reprisal for her work.
In total, at least nine Americans are currently being detained in Russia on various charges or convictions.
The State Department in September 2023 issued a "Do Not Travel" warning to U.S. citizens in the background of U.S. support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion of that country. The note cited "the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials" in its warning.