Due to a $14 donation: Israeli scientist sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in Russia

The Gagarinsky District Court in Moscow sentenced Israeli scientist Sofia Rosenfeld to 3.5 years in prison for "financing an extremist organization" — two transfers of 1,000 rubles each to Alexei Navalny's FBK, made in 2021. The verdict was handed down on October 7, 2026. The convicted woman's father called the process "pure Kafka" and appealed to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

The Gagarinsky District Court in Moscow sentenced Sofia Rosenfeld, a 50-year-old Israeli scientist and doctor of biological sciences, to 3.5 years in prison for "financing an extremist organization." The basis was two transfers of 1,000 rubles each (about $12–14) to Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), made in August and September 2021. The verdict was handed down on October 7, 2026 — a date the convicted woman's father called symbolic. Rosenfeld is a senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a leading specialist in Arctic waterfowl. She repatriated to Israel in 1990 but returned to Moscow to continue her studies. The donation was made when FBK was still operating legally; in August 2021, the organization was declared extremist. At the time of the ban, Rosenfeld was on an Arctic expedition and, according to her, was unaware of the status change. Upon returning, she canceled automatic payments, but two transfers had already gone through. For four years, no action was taken. Criminal prosecution began in late 2025. The scientist's father, Boris Rosenfeld, said he warned his daughter not to return to Russia, but she hoped for a fine or community service. Instead, she was taken into custody in the courtroom. The family can barely contact her; correspondence is only available through the Russian penal service. Rosenfeld did not rule out an anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli motive for the verdict but called it unlikely, suggesting Russia might use Israelis for future negotiations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry promised to request consular access. According to Mediazona and The Insider, this is the third case in Russia where a woman was sentenced to actual prison time for donating to Navalny's organization, and the second case of a real sentence for an Israeli in a political case not in absentia.