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3d ago

Judge Grants Bail to Harvard Scientist in Frog Embryo Smuggling Case

A federal judge cleared her to leave immigration custody pending her transfer to face felony smuggling charges in Massachusetts

Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian-born scientist and research associate at Harvard University, poses for a jail booking photograph at the Ouachita Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, U.S. May 14, 2025. Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
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Overview

  • Chief Judge Christina Reiss ruled on May 28 that Kseniia Petrova can post bail to end her ICE detention while remaining under U.S. Marshals custody for criminal proceedings
  • Petrova was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport on February 16 for failing to declare nonhazardous frog embryos intended for her research and had her visa revoked
  • Federal prosecutors escalated the matter by charging her with felony smuggling in Massachusetts, alleging she lied to officials about carrying biological specimens
  • Her attorneys argue the customs lapse should have resulted only in a fine and warn that deportation to Russia risks persecution because of her anti-war activism
  • Colleagues at Harvard Medical School say her cell rejuvenation research on cancer and Alzheimer’s has been stalled by her prolonged detention