Ex-professional Chris van Heerden fought for a long time for his fiancée Ksenia Karelina, who was imprisoned in Russia. The ballerina has now been released in a prisoner exchange.
There is still good news from the United States these days. Former professional boxer Chris van Heerden has been fighting for the release of his fiancée Ksenia Karelina since February last year. Now the 34-year-old has been released as part of a prisoner exchange.
Ksenia faced twelve years in prison
The US-Russian dual citizen was arrested in Russia when she went there to visit her family. She was accused of making a donation of around 50 dollars to a charity organization to support Ukraine. As a result, the ballerina was arrested by the Russian authorities and sentenced to twelve years in prison for treason.
“Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back to the United States,” announced US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a post on X yesterday. UFC boss Dana White is also said to have supported Karelina’s release, with Chris van Heerden expressing his thanks to him.
Van Heerden, who has lived in California for many years, traveled to Joint Base Andrews in Washington D.C. yesterday, where he was finally able to embrace his fiancée late in the evening. “My greatest achievement in my life,” van Heerden posted overjoyed on Instagram. “Ksenia is officially on American soil. Fight, fight, fight!!!”
The welterweight won 28 of his 32 fights, last stood in the ring on April 16, 2022 and ended his professional career after losing to Britain’s Conor Benn. A few years ago, van Heerden tragically lost his father when he was shot dead during a robbery in his native South Africa.
Text: Frank Schwantes