Pussy Riot's Peter Verzilov out of the hospital following poisoning
Pussy Riot member Peter Verzilov is out of the hospital following a treatment for poisoning.
The group is now looking to open a criminal case to investigate what happened. Read their statement in full below.
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The Pussy Riot member was hospitalized late Tuesday Sept. 11 and placed in critical condition. According to his partner, Veronika Nikulshina, Verzilov laid down around 6 that evening to rest and two hours later “woke up and said he was starting to lose his sight.” After that, he lost his vision, then ability to speak and to walk.
The activist went to Moscow’s Bakhrushin City Clinical Hospital and placed in the toxicology wing. Verzilov was later moved to the Charité Universitätsmedizin hospital in Berlin, where doctors concluded the activist had been poisoned in Moscow.
On Sept. 26, Pussy Riot shared a picture of Verzilov on Twitter, celebrating his recovery.
“Now Peter feels great and they’re kicking him out of the hospital,” they wrote.
6 days ago! now Peter feels great and they’re kicking him out of the hospital ???????????? pic.twitter.com/EkM37eFvMi
— ???????????????????? ???????????????? (@pussyrrriot) September 26, 2018
Around 3:35 p.m. EST, Pussy Riot confirmed that Verzilov left the hospital, following some speculation.
upd: peter is out of the hospital! pic.twitter.com/UpW3E18cDR
— ???????????????????? ???????????????? (@pussyrrriot) September 26, 2018
The group also shared a statement on Facebook, explaining they are going to try and open a criminal case to investigate what they’re calling an attempt to murder the activist.
“German doctors say that they have not seen anything like Peter’s case before,” they write. “An agent he was poisoned with is almost impossible to identify, and it gives such a long-lasting effects on Peter’s physical and mental health as none of the existing poisons.”
Read more: Pussy Riot share statement on Peter Verzilov’s poisoning condition
On Sept. 18, Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova and two German doctors explained his symptoms indicated the effects of poisoning by anticholinergic agent.
“He’s dizzy and confused, he cannot remember where he is right now,” they said at the time. “It’s amnesia, but the good news is that this particular form of amnesia is reversible. In the very beginning he could not recognize his mother. Nothing like that anymore.”
“It’s important to realize that Peter’s life was in danger,” the group explained. “He might be dead now if Nika Nikulshina was not around to help him.”
