Treason trial of detained American woman begins in Russia

Catch up quick: Karelina was born in Russia but arrived in the U.S. in 2012, per Reuters.

• She has both U.S. and Russian citizenship. The esthetician and former ballerina was living in Los Angeles, and was detained in February while visiting family in Russia.
• Her former workplace previously said she was detained for allegedly donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in the U.S.

State of play: The trial is being held behind closed doors in the city of Yekaterinburg, where Karelina was born and where she was arrested earlier this year, AP reported.

• The same court in Yekaterinburg is where Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich will face trial beginning next week.
• The trial is expected to resemble the sort of sham trials faced by other critics of the Kremlin.

Zoom out: Karelina's arrest came as Russia sharply cracked down on dissent in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

• A State Department spokesperson told Axios that the department was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen's detention and trial in Russia but had nothing to add "out of respect for her privacy."

What's next: Karelina faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted per AP.

• The next court date is set for Aug. 7, AP reported, citing Russian news agencies.

Go deeper: Russian court rejects appeal from detained American woman