Olga Zelenina
Scientists
1957-01-14
At large
Biography
Zelenina was detained in her flat by Federal Drug Control Service officers who came from Moscow and brought her back with them. There it became known that she had become one of the defendants in a criminal case for allegedly smuggling drugs under the guise of poppies in 2010, due to the conclusion that the batch of edible poppies did not contain deliberately introduced narcotic impurities and that the seeds could not be mechanically cleaned of this type of impurity. On 17 August 2012, her detention was extended by 72 hours for complicity in attempted smuggling of narcotic drugs by
Zelenina was detained in her flat by Federal Drug Control Service officers who came from Moscow and brought her back with them. There it became known that she had become one of the defendants in a criminal case for allegedly smuggling drugs under the guise of poppies in 2010, due to the conclusion that the batch of edible poppies did not contain deliberately introduced narcotic impurities and that the seeds could not be mechanically cleaned of this type of impurity. On 17 August 2012, her detention was extended by 72 hours for complicity in attempted smuggling of narcotic drugs by an organised group, even though the article on smuggling lapsed in back in December of 2011 and smuggling of narcotic drugs constituted a different article.
On 24 August, a charge of illegal production, sale or forwarding of narcotic drugs committed by an organised group was brought against Zelenina. A preventive measure in the form of arrest was cancelled by the Moscow City Court on 24 September 2012, and a new charge of abuse of power was brought for the same poppy episode and a preventive measure was chosen in the form of personal recognisance and proper conduct.
Later another criminal case of abuse of power was initiated for preparing an expert biologist's opinion on a lawyer's request. On 24 November 2013, finalised charges of abuse of power and participation in a criminal association in the form of aiding and abetting were brought against Zelenina. On January 27, 2015, the case was returned to the prosecutor's office, and on June 1, 2016, it went back to trial. On December 20, 2018, jury acquitted Zelenina.