A Russian-American ballerina recently freed from Russian imprisonment is calling on the Trump Administration to help free an Alabama native sentenced last year to 21 years in a penal colony.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account shared a letter sent to him from Russian-American Ksenia Karelina, who has returned to America after 15 months in a Russian prison.

Karelina was released as part of a prisoner exchange in April after facing 12 years in a penal colony on treason charges for donating $51 to a charity that supported Ukraine.

She was reportedly detained in January 2024 while visiting her family in the city of Yekaterinburg.

In her letter, Karelina urged Trump to act on behalf of three other Americans being held in Russia – U.S. Marine David Gilman, serving an eight-year sentence; Andre Khachatoorian, also serving eight years, and Alabamian David Barnes, who was sentenced in February of last year.

“President Trump, these families need your help,” Karelina wrote. “Only you can get these innocent men home.”

Barnes, 67, was sentenced to 21 years in a Russian penal colony in February 2024, still protesting his innocence following his conviction for abusing his two sons in Texas.

A native of Gadsden and a former Huntsville resident, Barnes was arrested in January 2022 after he traveled to Russia to meet with his two sons.

He was accused of sexually abusing his two sons several years ago in Montgomery County, Texas. The charges were brought by his ex-wife, Svetlana Koptyaeva. Because at least one of the children has Russian nationality, according to reports, Russian authorities claimed jurisdiction in the case.

The couple divorced in 2015, followed by a messy child custody case.

Koptyaeva made allegations of sexual abuse against Barnes, which were investigated and found “not credible,” according to Kelly Blackburn, an assistant district attorney with the Montgomery County D.A.’s office in Texas. No charges were ever filed against him in the U.S.

After Barnes was awarded custody of the children, Koptyaeva left the country that same week with the two sons, and David Barnes eventually tracked them to Russia.

Koptyaeva was indicted in Montgomery County, Texas on Dec. 12, 2019, for felony interference with child custody. A warrant was issued for her arrest.

When Barnes entered Russia in 2022 to make contact with his sons, he was arrested by Russian police after a report by Koptyaeva.

Barnes’ attorney argued Russian authorities had no jurisdiction in the case, but Barnes received an additional six months added to his sentence last month after he appealed. The judge also ordered that he be sent to a high-security penal colony and receive psychiatric treatment, according to ABC News.