A Russian scientist working at Harvard University now faces serious legal trouble. Kseniia Petrova, a research associate, has been held in U.S. immigration detention since February. Authorities recently charged her with smuggling frog embryos into the country.
The U.S. district attorney’s office in Massachusetts announced the charges on May 14. If convicted, Petrova could receive up to 20 years in prison. She might also pay a fine as high as $250,000. Prosecutors claim text messages prove she knew she needed to declare the embryos.
Petrova’s lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, strongly denies the accusations. He calls the case “meritless” and questions the timing of the charges. Notably, the charges came just after a judge scheduled a bail hearing for May 28.
“Filing charges three months later seems like a tactic to justify deportation,” Romanovsky said. He argues the move aims to paint Petrova as a criminal. Meanwhile, Petrova has spent three months in a Louisiana detention facility.
In a recent op-ed, Petrova shared her story. She fled Russia after being arrested for protesting the Ukraine war. At Harvard Medical School, she found what she called “a paradise for science.” However, her political views now put her at risk.
Petrova fears deportation due to her criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. She has supported his impeachment on social media. Returning to Russia could endanger her safety given her activism.
Her research focuses on aging and cellular chemistry. She believes her work could lead to breakthroughs against Alzheimer’s and cancer. Without her, her Harvard colleagues say their research has stalled.
Leon Peshkin, her supervisor, calls Petrova an exceptional scientist. “She’s the best I’ve seen in 20 years at Harvard,” he said. Despite this, her legal troubles continue to mount.
Petrova’s case highlights broader concerns about non-citizen academics in the U.S. Many face arrests or deportation threats. Unlike others, Petrova hasn’t protested Israel’s actions in Gaza.
While detained, Petrova met others in similar situations. One woman was denied asylum and separated from her U.S.-citizen daughter. Another detainee waits for an October court date to reunite with his fiancée.
Petrova remains hopeful the judge will grant her release. “I need to finish analyzing my data set,” she said. For now, the Russian scientist frog embryos case continues to unfold.
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