US prosecutors in Boston announced Tuesday that they are dropping criminal charges against Russian‑born Harvard researcher Kseniia Petrova, who had been accused of smuggling frog embryos into the United States. Reuters reported that the dismissal follows a federal judge’s order allowing Petrova to obtain evidence to support her claim that the case was politically motivated by the Trump administration.
Petrova, a senior scientist in Harvard’s Department of Biology, faced charges under the Animal Welfare Act after customs officials seized a shipment of amphibian embryos on her plane. The Court filing, provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, said prosecutors had determined that the evidence indicated a probable selective targeting of the researcher.
Petrova’s attorneys argue that the investigation was part of a broader crackdown on Russian scientists in America and that the allegations lack substantive proof. The decision marks the first time federal prosecutors have abandoned charges against a Harvard scientist in such a high‑profile case, according to Reuters.
University officials released a statement saying the university supports Petrova’s petition but remains neutral regarding the legal proceedings. The case remains under scrutiny by academic groups concerned about the treatment of immigrant researchers in the U.S., and analysts note that the dismissal could affect future prosecutions involving foreign scientists.
