A US-Russian citizen was arrested in Russia on Tuesday on suspicion of treason for helping to raise money for Ukraine’s troops.
Someone was arrested in Yekaterinburg, the same place where journalist Evan Gershkovich was taken. The woman has not been named. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said about the case, “The Federal Security Service in Yekaterinburg put an end to the illegal activities of a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles who has dual citizenship of Russia and the United States.”
Russia’s government said the woman was collecting money for a Ukrainian group that would then give it to the Ukrainian troops. Matthew Miller, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said, “We are aware of the case.” We’re looking for diplomatic help that hasn’t been given yet.”
This step toward arrest happened right after Evan Gershkovich, a writer, was turned down for an appeal and will now be held in jail until at least March 30. Both the US and the Wall Street Journal still say that Gershkovich was taken without a good reason. This has brought to light the large number of media, U.S. citizens, and other people that Russia has arrested over the last few years on different charges.
In January, Russian police nabbed Robert Woodland Romanov, who was born in the United States, on drug charges. Russian officials said they were going to jail Romanov for at least two months while they looked into his claims that he was planning to take part in illegal drug trading.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist who is citizen of both the United States and Russia, was arrested and charged with working as an illegal foreign agent in October of last year. In December 2018, Paul Whelan from Michigan was also arrested in Russia. He was charged with spying and given a 16-year prison term.
