Two small donations to Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation have landed an Israeli-Russian scientist a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Her family says she arranged the recurring payments while the organization was legal, then missed news of its ban while conducting research in the Arctic.

Sofia Rosenfeld, 50, was taken into custody in the courtroom after Moscow’s Gagarinsky District Court convicted her of financing an “extremist” organization. Prosecutors had sought five years in a penal colony over two transfers of 1,000 rubles each, totaling less than $30.

The charges concerned payments made in August and September 2021 to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, known as FBK. According to her father, Boris, Rosenfeld had established the standing order before the ban and was away on a scientific expedition when the organization’s legal status changed. She canceled the payments after returning and learning what had happened, but two installments had already gone through.

In court, Rosenfeld acknowledged arranging the donations but denied intending to support extremism. She explained that she wanted to help combat corruption, having witnessed its damaging effects through her work in scientific research and nature conservation. She said she had been out of contact during the expedition.

The prosecution came years later. Her father said Russian authorities raided her Moscow apartment in late 2025, shortly after she returned from visiting Israel. The family had expected a fine or community service, not years behind bars.

Rosenfeld is a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, specializing in Arctic waterbirds. Her research has taken her to remote northern regions, and she has maintained professional connections in Israel, including volunteering at a birdwatching center in the Hula Valley.

She immigrated to Israel with her family at 14 but returned to Moscow roughly a year and a half later to continue her education. Although she built her career in Russia, she retained Israeli citizenship, visited Israel and remained close to her family here.

Her case illustrates the reach of Russia’s crackdown on Navalny’s movement beyond its leadership. A Russian court banned the foundation and other Navalny-linked organizations in 2021, exposing supporters to prosecution. Amnesty International condemned the decision as a misuse of anti-extremism legislation to suppress government critics. Navalny, a leading opponent of Vladimir Putin, died in Russian custody in 2024.

Boris Rosenfeld says Israeli officials told him they could provide consular assistance but could not intervene in Russia’s judicial process. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it is in contact with the family and working with Russian authorities to provide consular services.

Her lawyers intend to appeal. She is being held in Moscow pending transfer to a penal colony, while her father hopes public attention will help bring her back to Israel. His request is straightforward: “I want her to be here in Israel.”