Harvard Scientist Accused of Smuggling and Threatened with Deportation Amidst Political Persecution Concerns

U.S. authorities have accused Ksenia Petrova, a Russian scientist and researcher at Harvard Medical School, of smuggling biological materials, and they plan to deport her to Russia, where her legal representatives caution that she could face persecution due to her anti-war stance.

The 31-year-old Petrova was officially charged on Wednesday with attempting to import frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States. If found guilty, she could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston.

These charges arose from an incident on February 16, when customs officials detained Petrova at Boston Logan International Airport as she returned from Paris. Her U.S. research visa was revoked on the same day, leading to her subsequent detention by immigration authorities.

Petrova’s attorney, Gregory Romanovsky, described the charges as «outrageous and legally untenable.»

«In court yesterday, the government reaffirmed its intention to deport Ksenia to Russia, where it is aware she faces serious risks for opposing the Putin regime,» he remarked in a statement to The Moscow Times.

Romanovsky contended that Petrova did not require permission to bring in the non-living frog embryos, which are reportedly not classified as restricted biological materials by U.S. Customs regulations.

«A hearing in federal district court in Vermont yesterday established that Customs and Border Protection officials had no lawful reason to cancel Ksenia’s visa and detain her,» he noted.

Initially held in Vermont, Petrova was later moved to a facility operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisiana. On May 14, a federal judge in Vermont scheduled a bail hearing regarding her wrongful detention for May 28, where Petrova participated remotely.

«Less than two hours after the Vermont judge scheduled a hearing for Ksenia’s release, she was unexpectedly moved from ICE to criminal custody,» Romanovsky stated.

«This is not mere coincidence. It signifies an effort by the government to legitimize its outrageous and legally baseless claim that this scientist, who is conducting cancer and aging research in the U.S., has somehow turned into a threat to the community,» he added.