Israel's Foreign Ministry Engaged with Family of Scientist Jailed in Russia

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is in contact with the family of Sofya Rosenfeld, an Israeli-Russian citizen sentenced to three and a half years in a Russian penal colony for donating to a foundation deemed extremist by Russian authorities. According to human rights advocates, the 50-year-old scientist is currently held in a Moscow pre-trial detention center. The ministry stated it is "maintaining contact with family members and interacting with Russian authorities to provide consular assistance." However, the ministry did not specify if a consular visit had occurred or if Israeli diplomats had access to Rosenfeld. It also declined to provide information on the total number of Israeli citizens imprisoned in Russia or how many are held on politically motivated charges.

Rosenfeld, a doctor of biological sciences and senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Ecology and Evolution, was sentenced on October 7 by Moscow's Gagarinsky Court. She was found guilty of financing an "extremist organization" for two donations totaling approximately $23 made in August and September 2021 to the Foundation for Combating Corruption. She was taken into custody in the courtroom. Rosenfeld acknowledged making the donations but claimed she was unaware of the foundation's designation as extremist, stating she had canceled her donations after learning of the ban while on a remote Arctic expedition.

Her defense team plans to appeal the verdict, with the hearing expected in several weeks. Prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence. Human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" has listed Rosenfeld as a political prisoner. Mediazona reports this is the third known case of a woman receiving a prison sentence in Russia for donating to the Foundation for Combating Corruption.

Rosenfeld's father, Boris Rosenfeld, who resides in Israel, stated that after the charges were filed, his daughter sought help from the Israeli embassy in Moscow. He was informed by embassy staff that Israeli authorities could not intervene due to her dual citizenship. Following the sentencing, Boris Rosenfeld contacted the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which told him an Israeli consul could visit his daughter if she submitted a request. He expressed his desire for his daughter to be in Israel and for assistance in her return. Sofya Rosenfeld, a leading specialist in Arctic waterfowl, previously repatriated to Israel with her family in 1989 but returned to Moscow as a teenager. She maintained ties with Israel, collaborating with researchers and participating in ornithological centers.