The release of former ballerina Xenia Karelina, a Los Angeles aesthetician who was imprisoned in Russia more than a year ago, brought relief and gushing of joy from friends and colleagues in Southern California.
Karelina was born in Russia more than a decade ago before coming to the US, living for herself in Los Angeles, where she worked at the Beverly Hills spa.
Isabella Colletz, former boss of Karelina, said she wants to see her after learning that Karelina is on a US plane.
“I am overwhelmed by joy and relief at the news of Xenia Carrerina’s release,” Coletz said in a statement. “She is not only a former employee, but also an incredible, kind, resilient young woman who has shown incredible strength through this unthinkable ordeal. I can’t wait to finally meet her and give her the greatest hug.
“We are deeply grateful to the federal government for helping her take her home, and we continue to hope and pray for the safe return of all those who are waiting to be reunited with our loved ones. Today is a day of hope, love and deep gratitude.”
A photo of Karelina on a plane carrying a US flag was posted on her boyfriend’s social media platform Thursday morning. Speaking to NBCLA last year, Chris Van Hairden said in a Thursday morning post on X that Karelina was “free and on her way back to the world’s greatest country.”
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushyrov, confirmed her release in a statement on Instagram, saying, “Two hours ago she contacted her relatives and took off to the US from Abu Dhabi.”
Mushailov said he had known about her release from Tuesday.
Lovers fear the safety of Ksenia Karelina, a 33-year-old LA resident who has been arrested in Russia and is accused of treason, allegedly involved in a Ukrainian fundraiser. Alex Rozier reported on the NBC4 News February 20, 2024.
In a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Karelina was “on a plane back to the US” after being “injured by Russia for over a year.” Rubio believed that President Trump had secured her release.
The development comes more than a year after the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB) detained her during a visit with Russian parents and sister. According to a statement from the FSB at the time, she was suspected of “providing financial aid to foreign countries in activities that respond to the security of our country.”
No details or evidence of her alleged crime have been provided.
Karelina was 33 at the time and was sentenced to 12 years in a prison colony for saying that Russian legal organizations had given a donation of more than $51.80 from their US bank account to a Ukrainian grant charity on February 24, 2022.
The trading day was the same day Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The FSB did not confirm the transaction amount, but said the donation was “used to purchase tactical medical supplies, equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian military.”
Karelina was sentenced in a closure trial in the city of Yekaterinberg, southwestern Russia.
Van Hyerden said the two spent Christmas together in Los Angeles in 2023 and visited Turkey for the New Year. He returned to the US on January 2, 2024, and Karelina traveled to visit Russian families, including her 90-year-old grandmother, he said.
In February 2024, Van Harden said that the problem occurred when Karelina arrived and was temporarily detained at the airport. She was released, but authorities continued her call, Van Harden said.
He said the two spoke for about three weeks, he used Karelina’s grandmother’s phone, until January 27th.
“She said, ‘I’m going in a few hours, I’m going to pick up the phone,'” Van Hilden told NBCLA last year. “And because it was the night here, I said, ‘I’m going to sleep so I’ll talk to you in a few hours.’ And that’s the last thing we talked about. ”
Karelina was born in Russia and was a double American Russian citizen. She came to the United States to study at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, according to the Associated Press before moving to Los Angeles.
The release of Karelina was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. This reportedly released in exchange for the release of Arthur Petrov, a double German Russian citizen arrested in Cyprus, at the request of the US that allegedly exported sensitive microelectronics in 2023.
The FSB later confirmed a swap in the statement.
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