Russian scientist from Harvard Medical School detained in U.S., faces deportation and likely arrest upon return...

[MayReasonRule]

Russian scientist from Harvard Medical School detained in U.S., faces deportation and likely arrest upon return due to anti-war stance

A Russian scientist working at Harvard Medical School (HMS) has been detained in the United States and placed in immigration detention. According to multiple independent Russian media outlets and the scientist’s friends, she now faces possible deportation to Russia, where she could be subject to political persecution over her anti-war stance.

The news of her detention was shared on Facebook by her friend and colleague Cora Anderson. Friends of the scientist also launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has already raised over $39,000 to support her legal and living expenses. “Kseniia is in danger,” a person familiar with the case told the Telegram channel Mozhem Obyasnit’ (lit. “We Can Explain”).

Kseniia, a Russian bioinformatics researcher, arrived in Boston from the Republic of Georgia in the spring of 2023 to work at Harvard Medical School. She had been compelled to leave Russia due to her outspoken anti-war stance, which could have led to criminal charges back home. While her surname was not disclosed in the original posts, Mozhem Obyasnit’ was able to locate her Facebook page, suggesting her name is Kseniya (Kseniia) Petrova, a graduate of MIPT (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology). Her page includes multiple posts criticizing the Russian government and denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. Petrova's page on Linkedin listed her as an associate researcher at Harvard Medical School working in Dr. Marc Kirschner's lab in the Department of Systems Biology.

On Feb. 16, after returning from a personal trip to France, she was detained at Boston Logan International Airport, where her visa was revoked. When Kseniia stated that she feared persecution if she were to return to Russia, she was transferred to immigration detention, first in Vermont, then in Louisiana. She is now being held in an ICE detention facility, in a room shared with 80 other women.

[dem4decades]

1. Did Putie ask Donny for a favor?

[MayReasonRule]

2. Dead On Point

[LymphocyteLover]

3. unbelievably sick-- this could lead to her imprisonment or death in Russia

[MayReasonRule]

4. That's Precisely What They Want To Happen. This Is Fascism 101. Intimidation. Incarceration. Extermination.

[LisaL]

5. Right now she is in detention in US.

Conditions in detentions have been described as being similar to prison or jail.

[LymphocyteLover]

6. unreal... we have to stop these people

[suegeo]

7. For the benefit of Putin, the GOP is harming Putin's opposition

There must be no opposition to Putin. Whatever he wants, he gets.

The Republicans suck.