Harvard scientist who opposed Ukraine war ‘fears deportation back to Russia’ after having her US visa revoked
A Harvard scientist who fled Russia because she opposed the war in Ukraine is facing deportation from the U.S. after being detained over undeclared frog embryos.
Kseniia Petrova, a bioinformatician at the Kirschner Lab at Harvard Medical School, was detained at the U.S. border on February 16 while returning from France and had her visa revoked, according to her friend Cora Anderson.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Petrova’s detention in a statement to The Independent, alleging that she had “knowingly broken the law” by attempting to “smuggle” undeclared frog embryos and petri dishes through customs.
Petrova’s lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, acknowledged that it was “her fault” she did not declare the items and that she “did not really think through” the decision, but said such behavior would usually only warrant confiscation and a fine of about $500.
He accused U.S. Customs and Border Protection of trying to “punish” her by revoking her visa, and said it was “quite likely” she would receive a long jail sentence if sent back to Russia.
It’s not clear where exactly Petrova would be deported, as she flew to the U.S. from France, but her friends and Romanovsky fear she could end up in Vladimir Putin’s clutches again if her bid to stay in the U.S. fails in court.
Her detention was first reported by independent Russian media, including The Insider, Mediazone, and Agentsvo.
“Kseniia is a Russian woman that had to leave her home country and family because she was going to go to prison for opposing the war with Ukraine,” said Anderson in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
“Once hired, she worked hard and has been an absolute delight for all to work with and a loving and loyal friend,” Anderson added. “Her giggly and bubbly personality really brightened up the lab space and anywhere she may be. Not only is she kind, but incredibly intelligent and diligent…
“Despite having lawyers and the fact she did not do anything illegal in the first place, she is still [in detention], and we have no idea when she will be paroled. I miss my friend and just want her home in Boston.”
A GoFundMe page set up by Anderson to cover Petrova’s legal expenses raised nearly $29,000 of its $30,000 goal as of Thursday evening.
A DHS spokesperson said, “The individual was lawfully detained after lying to federal officers about carrying biological substances into the country.
“A subsequent K9 inspection uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of unknown substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, all without proper permits.
“Messages found on her phone revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them. She knowingly broke the law and took deliberate steps to evade it.”
