US refuses to prosecute Russian scientist arrested over frog embryos US prosecutors have asked the court to dismiss the criminal case against Harvard Medical School researcher Ksenia Petrova, who is accused of smuggling undeclared samples of frog embryos. As reported by Igor Slavich, author of the Telegram channel USlegalnews, the petition was filed on November 3, and the prosecution requests to postpone the case without the possibility of reopening it for the same reason. Previously, Petrova's lawyers said that the scientist was subject to selective prosecution, after which the court ordered the prosecutor's office to disclose information about other passengers who carried similar substances without a declaration, and internal rules of customs inspections. The Ministry of Justice explained that collecting these documents and continuing the procedures would require too much time and resources. At the same time, the prosecutor's office did not recognize the accusations as unfounded and continues to insist on the legality of their initial actions. Petrova was arrested at the Boston airport in February 2025 when she returned from France with samples of frog embryos. She was subsequently denied a visa, detained at an immigration center, and subsequently charged with crimes. The scientist publicly opposed the war in Ukraine, so her colleagues feared that if she were deported to Russia, she might face persecution. Photo: Cora Anderson, Facebook.

US refuses to prosecute Russian scientist arrested over frog embryos US prosecutors have asked the court to dismiss the criminal case against Harvard Medical School researcher Ksenia Petrova, who is accused of smuggling undeclared samples of frog embryos. As reported by Igor Slavich, author of the Telegram channel USlegalnews, the petition was filed on November 3, and the prosecution requests to postpone the case without the possibility of reopening it for the same reason. Previously, Petrova's lawyers said that the scientist was subject to selective prosecution, after which the court ordered the prosecutor's office to disclose information about other passengers who carried similar substances without a declaration, and internal rules of customs inspections. The Ministry of Justice explained that collecting these documents and continuing the procedures would require too much time and resources. At the same time, the prosecutor's office did not recognize the accusations as unfounded and continues to insist on the legality of their initial actions. Petrova was arrested at the Boston airport in February 2025 when she returned from France with samples of frog embryos. She was subsequently denied a visa, detained at an immigration center, and subsequently charged with crimes. The scientist publicly opposed the war in Ukraine, so her colleagues feared that if she were deported to Russia, she might face persecution. Photo: Cora Anderson, Facebook.