Russian law enforcement authorities in annexed Crimea charged a woman with treason for allegedly buying non-fungible token stamps in support of the Ukrainian military, the Memorial human rights group said.
Lyudmila Kolesnikova, 34, said in a letter to volunteers that she had been placed in pre-trial detention after being arrested by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents at a cemetery in the resort city of Yalta in June.
Kolesnikova said she traveled from Ireland, where she had been living since 2022 under its temporary protection for those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to attend her mother’s funeral. The letter does not indicate the country of Kolesnikova’s citizenship.
Earlier this month, Kolesnikova was accused of buying two NFT stamps worth 25 euros ($27), with the funds going to the Ukrainian military so that it could purchase drones.
“I forgot about it, but they [Russian authorities] allegedly found the 25 euro transaction in my Revolut [banking app] account and pressed charges,” she wrote.
“They have a statement from the internet bank as evidence. But I have questions about bank secrecy violations,” Kolesnikova added in a letter sent to a volunteer who helps political prisoners in Russia.
An online support group later said it found Kolesnikova a lawyer and collected 46,000 rubles ($474) in donations for her.
Kolesnikova, who said she is a lawyer by training but worked in cosmetics in Ireland, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of state treason.
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