A Russian American citizen was released in a prisoner’s swap between Moscow and Washington.
Kareia Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles, was in prison in Russia for more than a year, after his arrest in early 2024 during a family visit in the city of Yekaterinburg.
It has been accused by the security service in Russia to raise funds for Ukrainian organization that provides weapons to the Ukrainian army. She acknowledged that she was guilty last August and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Russian human rights activists said while living in the United States that she had transported one of $ 51 (39 pounds) on the first day of Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine on February 22, 2022.
The relevant charitable institution denied collecting money for weapons or ammunition, saying that it focuses on humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
FSB is believed to have discovered the transaction on its phone.
On the other hand, the United States released Arthur Petrov, a Russian German citizen who was arrested in Cyprus in 2023. He was accused of illegally exporting accurate electronics to Russia to manufacturers working with the Russian army.
The Russian news agency, Tass, said that President Vladimir Putin has pardoned Mrs. Carlina.
The prisoner’s exchange occurred in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Thursday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Mrs. Carlina was “on a plane at home to the United States.”
He added that “Russia detained incorrectly for more than a year.”
“President Trump has secured its release (the president) will continue to work to release all Americans.”
The Wall Street Journal said that the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, was present on the stock exchange.
Thanks to Mrs. Carlina Trump and Putin.
“I think the deal should share them alike,” her father Pavel told the Wall Street Journal. “We are with our happiness.
“The first seconds of our chat were pure emotions, I could not even remember what we were saying, it was like one explosion of happiness.”
This is the second prisoner swap between Russia and the United States in less than two months.
In February, the Russian National Alexander Phoenic – who was imprisoned in an American prison on charges of money laundering – It was released in exchange for the release American School Teacher Mark Vogel.
The stock exchange comes at a time when Moscow and Washington are trying to improve their relations.
On Thursday, US and Russian officials in Istanbul met to hold another round of talks aimed at restoring some of the embassy operations that were limited after the invasion of Ukraine.
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