After being detained and incarcerated for four months, Harvard researcher and Russian national Kseniia Petrova was released on bond. As Leah Willingham and Kathy McCormack write for AP News, that same judge also ruled that ICE‘s detention of Petrova was “unlawful.”
A federal judge in Vermont on Wednesday released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher from immigration custody as she deals with a criminal charge of smuggling frog embryos into the United States. Colleagues and academics also testified on Kseniia Petrova’s behalf, saying she is doing valuable research to advance cures for cancer.
Petrova’s ordeal started in February, trying to reenter the United States after being on holiday in France. Before her return flight she “stopped at a lab specializing in splicing superfine sections of frog embryos and obtained a package of samples to be used for research.”
As she passed through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint in Boston Logan International Airport, Petrova was questioned about the samples. Petrova told The Associated Press in an interview last month that she didn’t realize the items needed to be declared and was not trying to sneak in anything. After an interrogation, Petrova was told her visa was being cancelled.
After the visa cancellation, she was kept in custody and transferred to a number of different facilities. What emerged later, according to reports, were dueling narratives: Kristi Noem‘s DHS claimed Petrova did not declare or misrepresented the embryos, and Petrova asserted that she was coerced into sign a document with inaccuracies.
Petrova has been an outspoken critic of Russian invasion of Ukraine and was arrested in Russia in 2022 for protesting the war.
AUTHOR FOOTNOTE
Between a Harvard scientist and Kristi Noem/DHS/ICE, whom are you more likely to believe? Question answers itself.
This entire story raised my hackles, because at face value, one might reasonably expect Donald’s regime to treat a Russian national with kid gloves. But not this one: she’s a thorn in the side of Putin, which automatically means she’s persona non grata with Vlad’s asset, Trump.
I understand Donald’s mafia is in open warfare against universities and scientists, but this was heavy-handed even for that lot. The linked DHS tweet is extremely flowery/dramatic, and it appears false on its face. If Petrova decides to sue (everyone wronged by this mob should and must) those statements would almost assuredly be presented in court.
I will continue following the story and if you have any tips you can send them securely to reporteratl@mailbox.org.
SOURCES
- Associated Press
- Associated Press
- Forbes
- DHS on Twitter/X
