Russian scientist at Harvard Medical School detained by ICE for undeclared ‘frog embryo samples'
A Harvard spokesperson on Thursday confirmed that Petrova is a research associate at Harvard Medical School and that university officials 'are monitoring this situation.'
Peshkin said he has hired a Boston-based immigration lawyer to represent Petrova who had her valid visa taken away and canceled.
Petrova first was held by US Customs and Border Protection at the airport. She next was transferred to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Vermont and then taken to Louisiana, Petrova's lawyer, Greg Romanovsky said in a telephone interview Thursday night.
Typically, a customs violation is punishable by a $500 fine, Romanovsky said.
Petrova is listed as being detained by ICE at the
Because Petrova had been arrested in Russia in 2022 for protesting against the invasion of Ukraine, she wasn't fined and released, Peshkin said. 'She was mishandled and her entry was denied,' he said.
'There is nothing that indicates that a customs violation makes you inadmissible to the United States,' Romanovsky said. 'They had no business canceling Kseniya's visa, but they think that they have absolute unlimited authority to do whatever they want.'
Romanovsky, her lawyer, is working with the Brookline-based non-profit, National Immigration Litigation Alliance, to try to get ICE officials to reconsider their decision to deny Petrova's re-entry into the country.
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Because Petrova told immigration officials that she feared political persecution because of her anti-war stance if she were returned to Russia, she is eligible for an asylum hearing to be considered for refugee status, Romanovsky said. A preliminary hearing has been set for May 7.
Petrova brought 'elite training' and 'complex expertise' when she arrived at Harvard from the Republic of Georgia in May 2023, Peshkin said.
'This person was a great find, because she is a combination of complex skills' in embryology, bioinformation, and data science, he said.
Lab manager Michael Gage said Petrova is an intellectual delight who has been 'a wonderful addition' to their work environment.
'Not only is she a brilliant computer programmer and scientist, she is full of wonder, enthusiasm, and creativity in every aspect of how she conducts her science,' Gage said in an email Thursday. 'She is a continuous positive influence in the lab and is always kind, caring, and full of joy.'
Gage described Petrova as 'usually quiet' yet with 'an infectious laugh and a razor sharp intellect that can make very difficult concepts understandable to those of us (myself very much included) that don't share her intellectual gifts.'
'In short, she is a truly remarkable and wonderful person who is deeply missed at Harvard while we await her return,' Gage said.
The frog embryo samples are key to their work figuring out how various genes are used in organisms, Peshkin said.
'Many things you can do in frogs are technically difficult to do in human materials and hard to do in rodents but can be done in invertebrates,' he said.
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The Harvard scientists previously had tried to have a shipment of 'precious' frog embryo samples sent to them via FedEx, but the package was 'defrosted, mishandled, and lost,' Peshkin says.
Peshkin said it is his fault that Petrova picked up more samples while vacationing in France and tried to bring them back to Harvard.
'I made a mistake,' Peshkin said. 'I regret very much doing this.'
Peshkin said he believes 'confusion' resulted after Petrova improperly declared the samples.
'She most definitely did not try to conceal anything,' Peshkin said. 'It was a sizable box with ice packs.'
Peshkin said Petrova calls nearly every day, and he and Petrova's colleagues have sent her books to help pass time. She is being held in a dormitory with 70 other women. They are allowed to watch some TV and go outdoors and play basketball.
She is both 'cheerful' and 'not great,' Peshkin said.
Meals are served inconsistently, and sleep is near impossible with the sound of 'loud prayers' throughout the night, he said.
Petrova, 'a passionate admirer' of classical music, attends the Boston Symphony regularly and had traveled to France to see famed pianist András Schiff, Peshkin said.
'She had these two weeks of high art and museums in Paris and came back to jail,' Peshkin said.
'It's a misunderstanding and a mistake, and she should be back at work working on cures and conducting biomedical research not learning to play basketball in a detention center in Louisiana,' he said.
A friend and colleague of Petrova's has launched a
Tonya Alanez can be reached at
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