Father of ballerina Ksenia Karelina who is charged with treason in Russia over $51 charity donation breaks silence saying her family is ‘at a loss’ over her arrest

The distraught father of Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina doesn’t know how to help her after she was arrested by Vladimir Putin’s FSB security service on charges of treason.

Pavel Karelina, 56, said publicly for the first time in an interview with DailyMail.com that he could not comment on the Russian government’s ongoing case against his daughter, but thanked the public for their support.

‘We really can’t say anything now. We ourselves cannot understand what is going on,” says Pavel, general manager of a transport equipment company. ‘Please understand. Thanks for the good wishes.’

Ksenia Karelina, 33, pictured with her father Pavel, mother Liliya and younger sister, remains detained in Russia on charges of high treason

Putin’s secret security forces, the FSB, arrested Karelina in January on charges of treason, officials confirmed Tuesday. Video show released this week showed Ksenia blindfolded in custody

Ksenia, 33, a dual citizen living in Los Angeles, was in Russia visiting her father, mother Liliya, 52, and younger sister Anya, 11, in the city of Yekaterinburg when she was detained. Her arrest was only announced this week.

She is accused of financing the Ukrainian armed forces after donating to charity and now faces up to 20 years in prison.

Although Ksenia has dual citizenship, her American passport is not taken into account in Russia.

A family friend said Ksenia’s relatives were “deeply shocked” by her detention.

Family photos obtained by DailyMail.com show her with her relatives in Russia for the first time.

President Vladimir Putin has introduced draconian laws to suppress criticism of his war in Ukraine. An FSB video shows Ksenia being held by security forces.

It is now understood that when she arrived at Koltsovo Airport in Yekaterinburg, her mobile phone was checked with the keyword ‘Ukraine’.

Karelina, who has dual citizenship, moved to the US after graduating from college in her home country in 2013

Ksenia, who visited her family in Russia last month, is accused of funding the Ukrainian armed forces after donating to charity and now faces up to 20 years in prison.

The case has further fueled fears that Western citizens with Russian passports are being targeted for arrest in Russia

Law enforcement officials reportedly found evidence of a $51.80 wire transfer to a pro-Ukrainian foundation in America.

They did not immediately detain her, but invited her to a police station the next day.

“They said all you have to do is sign a piece of paper and there will be no more questions,” said an account on the Telegram channel.

When she arrived, Yekaterinburg journalist Dmitry Kolezev reports, she was confronted by FSB agents.

She was then held for fourteen days on charges of ‘using obscene language in a public place’.

After the two-week period was over, she was told that more serious charges were pending against her for treason.

Pavel and Liliya Karelina don’t know how to help their imprisoned daughter

Family photos obtained by DailyMail.com show Ksenia with her relatives in Russia for the first time

On her Facebook page, Karelina says she is from Yekaterinburg and that she studied ballet at the SP Diaghilev School

For now, it appears she could be locked up for 20 years for allegedly making a $51.80 payment to a US-based Ukrainian charity, Razom.

In a statement, Razom CEO Dora Chomiak said the organization was “shocked by Karelina’s arrest.”

“Vladimir Putin has repeatedly shown that he does not put any sovereign border, foreign nationality or international treaty above his own narrow interests,” Chomiak said.

“His regime attacks civil society activists who stand up for freedom and democracy.”

Ksenia, who works at a spa in Beverly Hills, California, had traveled to Russia on January 2.

The case has further fueled fears that Western citizens who also hold Russian passports could be targeted for arrest in Russia.

They risk becoming human bargaining chips that can be traded for barter deals to return Russian criminals to American and other Western prisons.

Russia has arrested other US citizens, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, in its case on false spying charges.

Earlier this month, Putin hinted in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that “an agreement could be reached” over Gershkovich.