On December 15, 2021, Sarah Krivanek– an American schoolteacher and mother of four– was arrested at a Moscow airport.

She had attempted to flee the country with U.S. aid following “wrongful” domestic abuse charges. But, her escape plan failed, and the teacher has now been jailed in Russia for over seven months.

The turmoil all began last November when Sarah’s Russian boyfriend– Mikhail Karavaev– allegedly got drunk and hit her in the face.

According to Sarah, she acted in self-defense by getting a kitchen knife and trying to ward her boyfriend off. In the process, though, Sarah caught his nose with the blade.

She was later charged by Russian officials with “intent to inflict slight bodily harm” and “threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm.” Sarah was also ordered to appear in court the following day.

There, she described the altercation and alleged her boyfriend had punched and kicked her relentlessly, resulting in three broken fingers and numerous bruises on her arms and legs.

And following Sarah’s testimony and a confirmation of her injuries by medical experts, her boyfriend did withdraw his initial complaint.

“I never felt that my life was in danger,” Mikhail said in court. “She was just angry that I was drinking vodka.”

Instagram; pictured above is Sarah

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“I was the one at fault. I was still angry and drunk when the police interviewed me at the station and, besides, they told me she would not be charged.”

After his statement, Sarah was released on bail. But, this was only allowed after she confirmed in writing that she would not attempt to flee Moscow.

Russian media reports have since shared that Russian authorities did inform U.S. Embassy officials about Sarah’s arrest and conditions of release prior to the trial. And, fearing imprisonment, Sarah consulted the Embassy for guidance.

The U.S. Embassy ultimately helped provide Sarah with funds and plane tickets in order to travel back to the United States.

However, according to a U.S. official, the Embassy was not informed of Russian court orders for Sarah to remain in Moscow or even the fact that she was arrested in the first place.

Nonetheless, on December 15, Sarah was escorted to the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow by American diplomat Luke Davis. And apparently, this was not an unusual practice for Americans leaving Russia.

“U.S. citizens abroad may find themselves in need of a range of consular assistance– including assistance with travel issues, repatriation loans to the United States, lost or stolen passports, etc,” a State Department official told PEOPLE in an interview.

Still, once arriving at customs, Sarah was never allowed to board her plane back to Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Instead, her passport was seized, and Sarah was consequently arrested.

Anita Martinez, a longtime friend of Sarah’s who lives in California, was on Facetime with the schoolteacher when it all happened.

“I saw them take her. We were talking because she was getting ready to leave… I saw a scuffle, and I heard her saying, ‘No! No!’ and then next thing I knew, there was some man looking into her phone, and then it went dead. My heart just dropped,” Anita recalled.

Anita has not heard from Sarah since, but the schoolteacher did write a letter addressed to an unknown recipient on February 7 asking for help.

“Call the Embassy in Washington, D.C., and let them know that an American Citizen is in Russian jail and, to this date, no one has come to see me,” Sarah wrote in the letter obtained by PEOPLE.

Still, though, Sarah’s friends and family have not heard from her since the arrest.

Anita did reach out to President Joe Biden via the White House website in late June regarding Sarah.

But, the only response she received back explained how White House staff reviewed her email and sent it to “the appropriate Federal agency for further action.”

Moreover, when PEOPLE reached out to the State Department for comment on the situation, the Department underscored its expectation of “consistent, timely consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia in line with its legal obligations.”

Unfortunately, though, the Department also explained how all U.S. citizens traveling abroad are subject to the local laws and regulations.

“We assist U.S. citizens within the limits of our authority in accordance with international, domestic, and foreign law,” a State Department official said.

In turn, exactly if or when Sarah’s imprisonment will be rectified remains to be seen.

The vice president of the Russian Department of the International Human Rights Defense Committee, Ivan Melnikov, did share that he plans to speak with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding Sarah’s case.

“I believe American citizen Sarah Krivanek was wrongly convicted as it seems she herself was the victim of domestic violence and was defending herself from the attack. Her so-called victim also withdrew the charges,” Melnikov told PEOPLE.

So, he is urging U.S. officials to partake in a prisoner swap.

Until Sarah’s proposed exchange negotiation progresses, though, she will continue to remain imprisoned in Ryazan– which is about one hundred and twenty miles away from Moscow.

Melnikov has also allegedly instructed Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) officials to travel to Ryazan and ensure that Sarah’s human rights are being preserved.

Nonetheless, this incident has since prompted Yekaterina Kalugina, a Russian human rights activist, to regard Sarah as a “forgotten” American.

“I feel so sorry for this kind, Christian woman who loved Russian culture and Russian children. The woman who had forgiven her partner and been forgiven by him. She has been imprisoned for six months now and has been forgotten,” Yekaterina said in an interview with PEOPLE.

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