Israeli sentenced to 3.5 years in Russia for giving under $30 to anti-Putin politician

Sofia Rosenfeld, a Russian-Israeli ornithologist, was sentenced last week to three and a half years in Russian prison because she donated less than $30 to the organization of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny in 2021.

Rosenfeld’s father, Boris, told Hebrew media outlets on Monday that his daughter had set up a small recurring donation to Navalny’s anti-corruption group, and then departed on a research trip. While she was away, the organization, which was legal when she set up the donation, was outlawed by the Kremlin as an “extremist” group.

Boris Rosenfeld says his daughter canceled the recurring donation as soon as she returned to her home in Moscow, but two installments had already been taken out of her account. Four years later, in late 2025, shortly after she returned from a trip to Israel, Russian authorities raided her apartment and filed charges against her.

“She says it’s just fighting corruption,” Boris told the Kan public broadcaster, recalling what she said at her trial. “She has no extremist views and isn’t at all connected to politics.”

Her family was hoping for a lighter sentence, he said.

“We’re very worried,” he told Channel 12. “She thought it would end with a fine or community service. We never expected a sentence of several years because of a donation of less than NIS 80.”

Navalny, who was the most prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in prison under suspicious circumstances in 2024. Russia has since sentenced employees of his to prison terms.

Boris added that it especially stung that the sentence was handed down on October 7, the third anniversary of the 2023 Hamas-led onslaught. Because the trial is moving to an appeal, he told Channel 12, Sofia’s relatives are not allowed to visit her.

Nor does Boris have much hope that Israel will be able to ease her sentence. He told Hebrew media outlets that the Foreign Ministry said it can send consular officials to visit her, but it cannot interfere in the Russian justice system.

“The lawyers are okay, but no one listens to them,” Boris told Kan. “This isn’t a trial like those in a free country. It doesn’t matter what you say.”

He said his daughter maintains close ties to Israel, and his goal is to get her to return to the country, but he is not sure that it will be possible.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is “in touch with the family and working with Russian authorities to provide consular services.”