On October 7, 2026, Dr. Sofya Rosenfeld was sentenced to three years and six months in a penal colony for two small donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) made in 2021, despite reportedly presenting evidence that she canceled the recurring payments upon learning of the prohibition. We urge the Russian authorities to release her pending appeal, ensure a full and fair review of the evidence concerning her knowledge and intent, and pursue all lawful avenues to reverse this disproportionate sentence so she can resume her scientific and conservation work.
October 15, 2026
His Excellency Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
President of the Russian Federation
Administration of the President
23/16 Ilyinka Street
Moscow 103132, Russian Federation
Dear Mr. President:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS), an independent organization dedicated to defending the human rights and academic freedom of scientists and scholars, expresses its profound concern about the conviction and imprisonment of Sofya Borisovna Rosenfeld, a senior research fellow at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a leading specialist in Arctic waterfowl.
On October 7, 2026, the Gagarinsky District Court in Moscow sentenced Dr. Rosenfeld to three years and six months in a general-regime penal colony under Article 282.3(1) of the Russian Criminal Code. The prosecution concerned two payments of 1,000 rubles each to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), in August and September 2021, after the organization had been designated extremist.
According to published accounts of the proceedings, these payments arose from a recurring donation arrangement. Dr. Rosenfeld explained that she was on an extended scientific expedition without reliable communications at the time and canceled the arrangement upon learning of the prohibition. Her defense reportedly introduced her written cancellation request into evidence. She acknowledged the donations but denied supporting extremism or intending to finance extremist activity.
We are deeply troubled by the severity of a custodial sentence imposed for two small payments in these circumstances, particularly given the reported evidence relevant to knowledge and intent. The punishment also interrupts valuable scientific research on Arctic bird populations, migration, and conservation. The treatment of scientists engaged in peaceful civic activity is a matter of concern to the international scientific community.
We respectfully urge the appropriate Russian authorities to secure Dr. Rosenfeld’s release pending appeal, ensure a full and fair review of the evidence concerning her knowledge and intent, and pursue all lawful avenues to reverse this disproportionate outcome. We also urge that she be permitted to resume her scientific and conservation work without intimidation or retaliation.
We recognize the independence of the judiciary and ask that any judicial review proceed according to law and with full respect for due process. We would welcome a response describing the steps taken to address these concerns.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
CC:
Alexander V. Gutsan
Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Prosecutor General’s Office
15a Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, Building 1
Moscow 125993, Russian Federation
Igor V. Krasnov
Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
15 Povarskaya Street, Building 1
Moscow 121260, Russian Federation
Academician Gennady Ya. Krasnikov
President of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
14 Leninsky Prospekt
Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
Alexander Darchiev
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20007, USA