Ornithologist Sofia Rozenfeld has been sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony for making donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

The Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow has sentenced Dr Sofia Rozenfeld, a senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to three and a half years in a penal colony in a case concerning the financing of an “extremist” organisation (part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code). This was reported by Mediazona. The scientist was taken into custody following the announcement of the verdict. The prosecutor had requested five years in a penal colony for her.

The case concerns two donations of 1,000 rubles (about US$11) each that Rozenfeld made to FBK in August and September 2021. The ornithologist explained that, at that time, she was on a lengthy scientific expedition without any connection to the outside world and stopped her regular donations as soon as she learned that FBK had been declared an “extremist” organisation.

Rozenfeld did not deny setting up regular donations but insisted she did not intend to support extremism. According to the scientist, she donated to FBK solely because of its anti-corruption work.

“I believe that any public support is needed here. Because even in my own work, related to scientific research and environmental protection, I have seen what monstrous forms this evil can take. And it seemed to me that any help in the fight against corruption would be a good thing,” said the scientist.

Sofia Rozenfeld is one of Russia’s leading specialists on Arctic waterfowl. She has spoken out against a draft law that would weaken the ban on killing animals listed in the Red Book of endangered species.