U.S. Charges Russian Scientist with Smuggling Embryonic Materials Amidst Controversy

A federal grand jury in the United States has charged Russian scientist and Harvard Medical School researcher Ksenia Petrova with three offenses: smuggling of frog embryos, making false statements, and concealing a significant fact, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday.

The indictment arises from an incident on February 16, when customs officials detained Petrova at Boston Logan International Airport as she returned from France with biological specimens.

Petrova’s research visa was revoked by immigration authorities, and she was moved between various detention centers before facing formal smuggling charges last month.

Her lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, described the smuggling accusation as “absurd and legally unsustainable,” contending that the non-viable frog embryos do not fall under the category of restricted biological materials according to U.S. customs regulations, hence they should not require a permit.

On Wednesday, the Justice Department claimed that Petrova initially denied having the undeclared biological material but later acknowledged it. They also noted that text exchanges on her phone indicated that she was aware that she needed authorization to transport the frog embryos and embryonic samples.

A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted Petrova on three counts.

The smuggling charge could lead to a maximum penalty of 20 years, while the charges of making false statements and concealing information each carry a maximum sentence of five years.

Petrova was released on bail on June 12 and is currently on pretrial release, which imposes certain conditions she must adhere to until her next court appearance.

She has expressed concerns about facing arrest or worse if she is deported back to Russia, citing her political activism as a reason for her fears. Reports indicate she was arrested in Russia in 2022 for protesting against the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.