Pussy Riot Member in Critical Condition Following Suspected Poisoning
A member of the Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot has fallen ill in what is a suspected poisoning. Pyotr Verzilov was admitted to a Moscow hospital Tuesday (Sept. 11) following a loss of vision, speech and mobility.
Friends of Verzilov claim his doctors say it was an overdose or poisoning of a powerful neurotransmitter-blocking medicine that caused the sudden illness, according to local news outlet Maduza. He is reportedly slowly recovering. Verzilov's family, who are "1,000 percent" sure he didn't willingly ingest any anticholinergic drugs, say he isn't speaking and “reacts only with his eyes.”
Verzilov, who also was one of the members of Pussy Riot jailed for invading the World Cup pitch back in July, was arrested with fellow protester Veronika Nikulshina on Sunday (Sept. 9) following "crazy accusations" according to the group's official Twitter account. Nikulshina says Verzilov fell ill shortly after a court hearing on Tuesday, “and said he was starting to lose his sight,” according to a Maduza report.
“Between eight and ten, his condition got exponentially worse," she said. "First it was his vision, then his ability to speak, and then his ability to walk. When the paramedics arrived, he answered all their questions, saying, ‘No, I didn’t eat anything. No, I didn’t take anything.’ He was getting worse even faster, and then he started convulsing. On the way [to the hospital], in the ambulance, he was already babbling...he fell into such a half-asleep, half-unconscious state that he stopped responding to me and didn’t even recognize me anymore."
This morning, Pussy Riot again took to their Twitter account seeking, "the best toxicologist, like the best in profession. we need a consultation ASAP." An update soon followed saying they had found a doctor.
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