She Was a Leading Arctic Ornithologist. Now She’s Imprisoned for $25 in Donations.

Sofya Rozenfeld dedicated her life to following Arctic birds across the tundra, counting flocks from a small seaplane and advocating for the species she studied.

When her colleagues urged her to leave Russia as she faced criminal investigation for donating to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), she struggled to imagine a life away from that work.

“For Sofya, leaving her geese would have been like abandoning her children,” Alexandra Panyutina, who studied with Rozenfeld at Moscow State University and later worked alongside her, told the independent media project Veter.

Even as she awaited sentencing, Rozenfeld continued her fieldwork, securing court permission for a 10-day expedition to the Russian Arctic.

“The first piece of advice was to leave Russia,” her friend Artur Ryabitsev said. “But she was against it: ‘No, I live here; I work here; everything I have is here. What would I do outside Russia?’”

On Oct. 7, a Moscow court sentenced the ornithologist to 3.5 years in a penal colony for making two donations totaling 2,000 rubles ($25) to the FBK.

 Miss Congeniality, make way for Miss Constitution

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The winner of a new Russian beauty contest must be attractive, talented and witty.

But never mind wanting to help children. She should also symbolize Russia's constitution.

Russia's main pro-government youth group, Nashi, is to stage the "Miss Constitution 2008" contest as the Kremlin is pushing for changes to the constitution that critics say aims to let Prime Minister Vladimir Putin become president again.

"This constitution is a state brand and today we want to choose a girl worthy of its image," a Nashi spokeswoman.

Nashi will crown Miss Constitution on December 12 to celebrate the document's 15th anniversary. Other Russian youth groups will also take part.

"The girls must prove they are gifted in many ways," the spokeswoman said. "Talented, clever, erudite, artistic, witty, graceful, flexible and most important of all not without sparkle."

The Kremlin wants to extend the Russian presidential term to six years from four, a change critics say could be designed to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to reclaim the top job.

Parliament has already approved the changes which now must be approved by Russia's regional legislatures.

Last year thousands of Nashi protesters marched to support Putin in parliamentary elections and demonstrate against his opponents but in 2008 the group has adopted a far lower profile.

Participants of the "Miss Russia" beauty contest are seen covered with artificial snow at the end of the show in Moscow December 14, 2007.  REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov

"Erudite ... not without sparkle" seems like a good combination for a Miss Constitution.   I can't see this happening in the U.S., but after eight years of attempts by the White House to subvert the Constitution, maybe it's just what we need!