Svetlana Mesyatz is an internationally renowned Classicist specializing in Neoplatonism and the Aristotelian tradition in Late Antiquity. Since 1999 she has held the position of Senior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Svetlana was arrested on economic charges related to the alleged mismanagement of public funds allocated for the preparation of new Russian translations of Aristotle’s works. After spending two days in custody, she was placed under house arrest. The investigation into Svetlana’s case is ongoing and, given the charges, she could face up to 10 years in prison. On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Svetlana was arrested on economic charges related to the alleged mismanagement of public funds allocated for the preparation of new Russian translations of Aristotle’s works. After spending two days in custody, she was placed under house arrest. The investigation into Svetlana’s case is ongoing and, given the charges, she could face up to 10 years in prison.

Svetlana’s arrest occurred in the context of a long-standing struggle for control over the  Institute. Svetlana, who has never held a senior administrative position in the Academy or elsewhere, became a victim of this continuing struggle, despite not being an active participant in it. The accusation of mismanaging funds allocated to a scholarly project in Greek philosophy appears wholly implausible. The scholarly translation of works of ancient Greek philosophical works is both difficult and time consuming, and ever since Antiquity, Aristotle has had a reputation as one of the most difficult ancient authors, even for ancient Greeks themselves. All those who have been involved in such projects understand that a careful, scholarly translation of Aristotle is a time-consuming process in which unforeseen problems may arise that delay publication. All those who know Svetlana Mesyatz will attest that she is a person of unimpeachable honesty and professional conscientiousness. Like her previous publications of translations from ancient Greek and German, Svetlana Mesyatz’s new translation of Aristotle will provide a great service to the Russian people and contribute to the high reputation for excellence of the work of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

We, the international community of philosophers and classical scholars, as well as lovers of wisdom both within and outside academia, call on the Russian authorities to immediately release Svetlana Mesyatz from house arrest and to continue any audit of the Institute of Philosophy through ordinary legal channels, not in the context of a criminal procedure.

Membre associé, CNRS Centre Jean Pépin-UMR 8230-ENS-PSL, Paris, France
Adjunct Professor, Department of Greek and Roman Studies, Victoria, B.C., Canada
Visiting Scholar (2020-2026), Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin

Andrei Rodin

Laboratoire SPHERE - UMR 7219, Paris, France