Legal Proceedings and Charges
, a 30-year-old Russian-born scientist and researcher, faces a single charge of smuggling goods into the , specifically frog embryos, potentially leading to a 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.
Petrova's legal battle escalated with her transfer from to for the smuggling charge, amidst ongoing deportation proceedings back to Russia. Her lawyer contests the legality of her visa cancellation and detention.
Background and Reactions
Petrova, detained since February, obtained the frog embryos during a vacation in France for research purposes. She claims ignorance of the requirement to declare the items at U.S. customs.
The scientific community and Harvard University have expressed concern over the case's impact on foreign researchers in the U.S. Petrova fears deportation to may lead to imprisonment due to her political stance against the war in .