Russian-Canadian Pussy Riot member showing improvement in Berlin after suspected poisoning, father says

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With his son in a Moscow hospital suffering from a suspected poisoning, Yury Verzilov wanted to bring him home to Canada, but the medical risk posed by a long flight made him think twice.

So friends in Russia and Germany helped Mr. Verzilov and others arrange for his son Pyotr to be whisked onto a chartered medevac flight and transported to Berlin, where he is now undergoing treatment for a mysterious illness that initially left him unable to see or walk.

Pyotr Verzilov, a dual Russian-Canadian citizen and a prominent member of the Russian opposition group Pussy Riot, is showing signs of improvement after arriving on Saturday night, his father said. He is now able to see and move his limbs, an encouraging development in a terrifying ordeal.

His father, a nuclear scientist who lives in Canada, has been helping co-ordinate, along with Pyotr’s friends, a rescue plan for his son since he suddenly fell ill after a court appearance last week.

“My first thought was bring [him] to Canada, but medical condition was so difficult. Pyotr was in the first days so weak, it was practically impossible,” Mr. Verzilov said. “He arrived [in Germany] a day ago and was weak. All flight – it was 2 hours 30 minutes – they gave him medicine to get him to sleep, but at the end there is sometimes really unexpected direction from Pyotr.”

He said Pyotr is still at times uncharacteristically aggressive when he’s awake and seems to be suffering hallucinations, but is much improved over all.

Pyotr was initially moved from one clinic to another in Moscow, but his father thought it would be wise to seek treatment outside Russia. Although it’s still not clear whether he was deliberately poisoned, his friends and family were concerned for his safety.

“I was worried about something else. If he was poisoned, maybe they can do something more,” his father said.

“Pyotr is in good hands in Germany, and really good doctors are taking care of him, and his condition is improving.”

Last week, the Russian news site Meduza reported that the family was initially told he had overdosed on medicine or was given too much medication. It’s still not known what made him ill, but an update is expected on Monday. His father said Pyotr had been in very good health.

He is being cared for by physicians who were recommended by a friend in Germany, his father said, adding that he’s extremely grateful for the outpouring of support his family has received. He said Pyotr’s friends had come together remarkably under difficult circumstances and worked quickly and effectively to help him.

Pyotr was able to drink a cup of tea on his own for the first time on Sunday, his father said, which he took to be an encouraging sign. His long-term memory is also intact, his father said, but he’s unable to recall much of the past week.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that the situation was a concern, particularly in light of poisonings in Britain that have been blamed on Russian agents. He added that it was still too early to draw conclusions about what happened in Pyotr’s case.

Consular officials with Canada’s Global Affairs have spoken with the family to offer their assistance, the department said on Sunday.

“Canada is concerned by the situation of Canadian citizen Pyotr Verzilov. Our officials have been in contact with Mr. Verzilov’s family and stand ready to provide further consular assistance,” a Global Affairs spokesman said. “Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation closely and to seek more information.”

Pyotr’s mother and girlfriend are with him in Germany, his father said. His ex-wife, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, also posted images on Twitter showing his arrival at a Berlin airport. She told the German newspaper Bild that she believes he was the victim of poisoning.

"I believe that he was poisoned intentionally – and that it was an attempt to intimidate him or kill him,” Ms. Tolokonnikova said.

During the World Cup this summer, Pyotr took part in a pitch-invasion protest that landed him a 15-day jail sentence. He is also the publisher of Mediazona, a publication focused on human rights issues in Russia, particularly in the country’s prisons. As a member of Pussy Riot, whose punk-rock protests have made them one of Russia’s best-known political opposition groups, he has taken part in a number of actions critical of the Russian government.

Pussy Riot posted a photo on their Twitter account on Sunday of several members in balaclavas holding up a sign that says, “We will punish those that poisoned Pyotr Verzilov.”

His father said he will be travelling to Germany this week to be at his son’s bedside. He hopes to bring Pyotr to Canada once he is strong enough to make the journey.

With a file from Reuters