Judge Orders Release of Harvard Scientist

A U.S. district judge in Vermont has ordered the release of Harvard University researcher Kseniia Petrova from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Louisiana after she had been held for smuggling frog embryos into the country.

“We are gratified that today’s hearing gave us the opportunity to present clear and convincing evidence that Kseniia Petrova was not carrying anything dangerous or unlawful, and that customs officers at Logan International Airport had no legal authority to revoke her visa or detain her,” Gregory Romanovsky, Petrova’s attorney, said in a statement.

“At today’s hearing, we demonstrated that Kseniia is neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk, and does not belong in immigration detention,” he added.

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