Olga Nikolaevna Zelenina is a leading Russian chemist who specializes in studying hemp and opium poppies who’s often called on as an expert witness in narcotics cases. She’s also been arrested for being implicit in narcotics trafficking, charges that she and her supporters vehemently deny. Oh, and to make the story weirder, she’s sharing a cell with Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot.According to a Nature report, Zelenina was called to testify in a drug case involving Sergey Shilov, who was arrested after importing 42 metric tons of food poppy seeds from Spain. From the story:[T]he import of poppy seeds for use in foods, such as cakes and bread, is legal — as long as they are 100% free of narcotic opium alkaloids such as morphine and codeine. Poppy seeds do not contain these alkaloids, but other parts of the plant that do, such as poppy straw, can become mixed into shipments as a result of poor harvesting practices.
In her expert report, Zelenina stated that it is technically impossible to fully eliminate such impurities from poppy seeds, as Russian laws require. She also wrote that the seized seeds did not contain any deliberately added narcotic compounds, says Natalia Andreeva, Zelenina's Moscow-based lawyer.The fact that she shot holes in the prosecution’s case didn’t sit well with prosecutors, which her supporters said led to her arrest on charges of aiding and abetting narcotics traffickers. Apparently this is a rising issue in Russia, where if experts armed with good science don’t agree with the prosecution, prosecutors will either railroad their testimony or, as Zelenina alleges, take revenge. For a Russia that’s still struggling mightily with being ostensibly free, it’s an especially sad day when scientists have to worry about getting arrested for doing good work. On Monday Zelenina will face a court to see if she can be released from jail before her trial.Follow Derek Mead on Twitter: @derektmead.