OLGA JEZLER: A New Yorker Supporting her family through cancer

Olga is extremely close with her only sibling — her older sister. Even after moving to the U.S., she remained deeply involved in her sister’s life. When her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, it devastated Olga. She knew her sister needed her — not only to get through the treatment but also to care for Olga’s young niece. Out of love and duty, Olga traveled back and forth between the U.S. and Russia several times to support them.

In June 2022, upon arriving at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, Olga voluntarily declared the CBD supplements she was carrying — something she had done on her previous trips, as CBD is legal in Russia. She was allowed to enter the country without issue.

Three days later, she was unexpectedly summoned by law enforcement and arrested. She was charged with drug trafficking and sentenced to 10 years in a Russian prison. Court records show that prosecutors misclassified her legal CBD oil as hashish oil — a banned substance she never carried.