A federal decide has granted a request from prosecutors to dismiss the prison case in opposition to Kseniia Petrova, the Russian researcher at Harvard College who was detained in 2025 after being accused of smuggling frog embryos into the USA.
Petrova was detained by customs brokers at Boston’s Logan Worldwide Airport in February 2025 for carrying undeclared organic samples. She was held in immigration custody because the Trump administration moved to revoke a whole bunch of pupil visas as a part of its immigration crackdown.
The Justice Division in Could 2025 charged Petrova over the “noninfectious and non-toxic frog embryos.” Petrova was ordered launched from custody a month later whereas she continued to face fees.
On Tuesday, prosecutors stated in court docket filings that persevering with the prosecution would “divert important time and a spotlight from extra substantial federal pursuits.”
“At this stage, the useful resource prices of constant this prosecution outweigh the general public curiosity in its decision,” prosecutors wrote.
William Fick, an lawyer representing Petrova, advised ABC Information that the Justice Division “by no means ought to have introduced this extremely uncommon smuggling prosecution” in opposition to Petrova.
On this June 12, 2025, file photograph, Harvard College researcher Kseniia Petrova departs the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse after being launched on bail from federal custody, in Boston.
Leah Willingham/AP, FILE
“Two federal judges determined that the suspicious circumstances right here warranted additional investigation into whether or not Homeland Safety and the DOJ unfairly focused Ms. Petrova,” Fick stated. “Though that essential query won’t but be answered, we’re happy the DOJ has lastly reached the suitable conclusion and requested the court docket to right away dismiss all prison fees in opposition to Ms. Petrova.”
Whereas being held in a Louisiana detention facility, Petrova advised ABC Information she believed her detainment was too harsh.
“I want to say that one thing is totally, fully uncontrolled right here,” Petrova stated. “I feel my case was an instance of displaying how actually the system does not work.”
