Ksenia Karelina's First Interview After Russian Prison Release and Prisoner Swap

Detained for Supporting Ukraine

• 🇷🇺 Ksenia Karelina, a 32-year-old Russian-American, was detained in Russia in January 2024 while visiting family.
• 💰 She was charged with treason and sentenced to 12 years in a work camp for a small online donation made in 2022 to a charity supporting Ukraine.
• 💔 Karelina felt compelled to donate due to the overwhelming feelings of unfairness she experienced hearing stories from Ukrainian friends who had lost homes and safety.

Life and Imprisonment

• 🩰 Karelina, who was a ballerina from a young age, moved to the U.S. for college and fell in love with the country's diversity, challenges, and welcoming people.
• 📱 Upon arrival in Russia, authorities questioned her about her feelings on the war and searched her phone, leading to her arrest.
• ⛓️ Facing a 12-year sentence, she described her prison experience as constant yelling, humiliation, and a complete upheaval of her life, losing loved ones and freedom.

Finding Strength in Darkness

• 📖 During her nine months of detention, Karelina found solace in studying survival stories, reading messages from supporters, and journaling.
• ❤️ She wrote about love being the biggest power, believing that holding onto love and light helps one get through anything, even in the darkest times.
• 💪 Overcoming extreme darkness, she found it made her stronger and more confident in her values, leading to personal growth.

Prisoner Swap and Return Home

• 🤝 Her boyfriend, Chris Van Heerden, along with director Peter Berg and UFC CEO Dana White, advocated for her release.
• ✈️ Karelina was released in a prisoner swap with a German-Russian citizen and flew to Abu Dhabi, where she was met by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
• 🤗 Returning to the U.S., she experienced a warm welcome and a reunion with her boyfriend and dog, marking the start of a new life.

A New Beginning

• ✨ Karelina views her release and return as the beginning of a new chapter, where she is figuring out who she will become.
• 🌟 She is determined to share her experience and the strength she gained to help others going through difficult times, emphasizing that better days are possible with self-advocacy and finding light in small things.