{"id":9741,"date":"2018-09-25T10:42:47","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T17:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=9741"},"modified":"2018-09-25T10:42:47","modified_gmt":"2018-09-25T17:42:47","slug":"pussy-riot-activist-may-have-been-poisoned-german-doctors-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2018\/09\/25\/pussy-riot-activist-may-have-been-poisoned-german-doctors-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Pussy Riot Activist May Have Been Poisoned, German Doctors Say"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"css-sb57iz e345g291\">\n<figure class=\"sizeSmall layoutHorizontal css-z723vq toneNews\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"media\">\n<div class=\"css-bsn42l\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-11cwn6f\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2018\/09\/19\/world\/19Germany-protester\/merlin_143812137_1d17e5e8-d6ab-456f-87e5-62dc7b22ced1-popup.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;disable=upscale\" sizes=\"50vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2018\/09\/19\/world\/19Germany-protester\/merlin_143812137_1d17e5e8-d6ab-456f-87e5-62dc7b22ced1-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 443w,https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2018\/09\/19\/world\/19Germany-protester\/merlin_143812137_1d17e5e8-d6ab-456f-87e5-62dc7b22ced1-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 443w\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"css-109u0hy emkp2hg0\"><em><span class=\"css-1v07nl7 e1olku6u0\">Pyotr Verzilov received medical treatment after arriving in Berlin on Saturday. German doctors said on Tuesday it was \u201chighly plausible\u201d that he had been poisoned.<\/span><span class=\"emkp2hg1 css-exuwrl e18m0s9i0\"><span class=\"css-1ly73wi e1afaoz0\">Credit<\/span><span class=\"css-1dv1kvn\">Credit<\/span>Cinema for Peace Foundation, via Associated Press<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"css-30n6iy e345g290\">\n<div class=\"css-acwcvw\">\n<div class=\"css-pqwbx7 e1hs04dy0\">\n<div class=\"css-1baulvz\">\n<p class=\"css-1cbhw1y e1x1pwtg1\">By\u00a0<a class=\"css-1s28epf e1x1pwtg0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/christopher-f-schuetze\"><span class=\"css-1baulvz\">Christopher F. Schuetze<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a class=\"css-1s28epf e1x1pwtg0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/melissa-eddy\"><span class=\"css-1baulvz\">Melissa Eddy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"css-lyagax\">\n<li><time class=\"css-pnci9c eqgapgq0\" datetime=\"2018-09-18\">Sept. 18, 2018 (NYTimes.com)<\/time><\/li>\n<li class=\"css-6n7j50\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<div class=\"css-hn080\" role=\"toolbar\" aria-label=\"Social Media Share buttons, Save button, and Comments Panel with current comment count\" data-testid=\"share-tools\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"css-18sbwfn StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-4w7y5l\">\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">BERLIN \u2014 German doctors treating a Pussy Riot activist who\u00a0<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/09\/13\/world\/europe\/pussy-riot-poisoning.html\">lost his sight, speech and mobility<\/a>\u00a0after spending time in a court in Moscow said on Tuesday that it was \u201chighly plausible\u201d that he had been poisoned, as their tests had found no evidence that he was suffering from a long-term illness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">The activist, Pyotr Verzilov, 30, was treated for several days in the toxicology wards of two hospitals in Moscow after falling ill. On Saturday, he was flown to Berlin and admitted to the Charit\u00e9 hospital. His doctors in the German capital told reporters at a news conference that he was in an intensive care unit but was not in life-threatening condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">\u201cWe are working on the assumption of a poisoning that has lasted about a week,\u201d Dr. Kai-Uwe Eckardt, director of the hospital\u2019s medical center, said. \u201cTest results indicate certain active ingredients, but the exact substance has not yet been determined.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Allegations of the poisoning of a former Russian spy, Sergei V. Skripal, in Britain in March have injected fresh fears of Cold War-era tactics coming from the Kremlin as a way to silence critics. London accuses Moscow of using a highly sophisticated nerve agent in a botched attempt to assassinate Mr. Skripal, also poisoning his daughter and three others, including one who died.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-18sbwfn StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-4w7y5l\">\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">The doctors in Berlin said they had been unable to identify the specific toxin that appeared to be making Mr. Verzilov ill. But they said his symptoms indicated that the active agent appeared to belong to a class of substances that are widely used, including in drops to dilate pupils during eye examinations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Doctors at the Charit\u00e9 have ordered a lab toxicology report, but said they had little hope of determining the exact substance because of the time elapsed since it was ingested. Also, Mr. Verzilov\u2019s Russian doctors pumped his stomach and cleaned his blood by dialysis, making the original agent more difficult to trace, they said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Last Tuesday, Mr. Verzilov, who is a dual Canadian and Russian citizen, spent roughly five hours in a Moscow court building. He had been awaiting the release of Veronika Nikulshina, who is also a member of Pussy Riot, according to a chronology presented by his family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Immediately after returning home, he began to lose his vision and coordination, said Ms. Nikulshina, his partner, speaking in an interview from Berlin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">At the time, however, Mr. Verzilov chalked it up to extreme fatigue and lay down to rest, she said. When he awoke, they noticed that he had started to slur his speech and she saw his pupils were extremely dilated, leading her to call an ambulance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-18sbwfn StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-4w7y5l\">\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Dr. Karl Max Einh\u00e4upl, the head of the Charit\u00e9, said that the doctors who had cared for him in Moscow had \u201cdone a good job\u201d and been \u201cvery cooperative\u201d in sharing information with their colleagues in Berlin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Mr. Verzilov\u2019s mother, Elena Verzolova, and Ms. Nikulshina said they believed he might have been deliberately poisoned by the Russian security authorities. They decided to take him out of Russia, and accompanied him to Berlin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">\u201cI think he will be more safe here,\u201d Ms. Verzolova said, adding that she felt reassured to have a second opinion on his condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">\u201cIt would be really dangerous for him to go back, because probably it was assassination attempt \u2014 if not it was intimidation \u2014 because probably he knew something that he wasn\u2019t supposed to know,\u201d said Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of the original Pussy Riot activists, who used to be married to Mr. Verzilov and met the family in Berlin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Pussy Riot, widely known as a punk band unsparing in its\u00a0<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/11\/09\/arts\/music\/trump-pussy-riot-chloe-sevigny.html\">criticism of President Vladimir V. Putin<\/a>\u00a0and the Russian government, gained notoriety in 2012 when three of its members were sentenced to two years in prison on charges of hooliganism,\u00a0<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/08\/18\/world\/europe\/suspense-ahead-of-verdict-for-jailed-russian-punk-band.html?pagewanted=all\">leading to worldwide protests<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Mr. Verzilov and Ms. Nikulshina were two of the four activists who\u00a0<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/07\/15\/sports\/soccer\/pussy-riot-world-cup-final.html\">interrupted the soccer World Cup final<\/a>\u00a0on July 15 that was attended by Mr. Putin. They were\u00a0<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2018\/jul\/17\/pussy-riot-members-jailed-for-world-cup-final-pitch-invasion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sentenced to 15 days in jail<\/a>\u00a0each.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Two weeks ago, Ms. Nikulshina was once again arrested at a traffic stop and was detained by the police for two nights, she said. On the day he fell ill, Mr. Verzilov and other friends had spent the afternoon in and around the courthouse, waiting for her release.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-18sbwfn StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-4w7y5l\">\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Ms. Tolokonnikova said she believed that her former husband was targeted. \u201cThey definitely knew that he would be around,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Although both women underline that their theories are mere conjecture, they say they\u2019ve grown weary of heavy-handed state tactics by the police.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">\u201cCops casually come to our apartment, they knock at the door, they ask our neighbors about us; they are influencing our lives and not in a pleasant way,\u201d Ms. Tolokonnikova said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">Mr. Verzilov\u2019s medical team in Berlin said they expected him to make a full recovery, but they were unable to predict how long it would take. Although his friends and family fear for his safety in Russia, they do not expect him to stay in Berlin after he leaves the hospital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1i0edl6 e2kc3sl0\">\u201cSomething tells me once he will be able to buy a ticket back to Russia, he will do it,\u201d Ms. Tolokonnikova said. \u201cIt\u2019s a point of honor to stay in Russia and try to make things better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-14jsv4e\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-of-article\">\n<div class=\"css-1hc8e7p\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-3glrhn\"><em>A version of this article appears in print on\u00a0<time class=\"css-10rvbm3\" datetime=\"2018-09-19T04:00:00.000Z\">Sept. 18, 2018<\/time>, on Page\u00a0A6\u00a0of the New York edition\u00a0with the headline:\u00a0Pussy Riot Activist May Have Been Poisoned in Moscow, German Doctors Say.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytreprints.com\/\">Order Reprints<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/pages\/todayspaper\/index.html\">Today\u2019s Paper<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY\">Subscribe<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-mqwa36\">\n<div class=\"css-hn080\" role=\"toolbar\" aria-label=\"Social Media Share buttons, Save button, and Comments Panel with current comment count\" data-testid=\"share-tools\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pyotr Verzilov received medical treatment after arriving in Berlin on Saturday. German doctors said on Tuesday it was \u201chighly plausible\u201d that he had been poisoned.CreditCreditCinema for Peace Foundation, via Associated Press By\u00a0Christopher F. Schuetze\u00a0and\u00a0Melissa Eddy Sept. 18, 2018 (NYTimes.com) BERLIN \u2014 German doctors treating a Pussy Riot activist who\u00a0lost his&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2018\/09\/25\/pussy-riot-activist-may-have-been-poisoned-german-doctors-say\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9741"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9741"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9742,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9741\/revisions\/9742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}