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Pussy Riot member and Mediazona publisher Pyotr Verzilov has regained consciousness after three days of intensive care treatment, his friends told Meduza.

Pyotr, a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimr Putin, fell into a coma after on Tuesday evening and was rushed to hospital.

He is currently being treated at Moscow's Skilfosovsky Institute and his friends claim doctors believe Pyotr was "poisoned by anticholinergic drugs".

Anticholinergic drugs include Parkinson's medications and diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which block neurotransmitters in the nervous system.

Side effects include a dry mouth, blurred vision, dry eyes, dizziness, cognitive problems and heart rhythm disturbance.

Veronika Nikulshina, Pyotr's common-law wife, says he recognises her and his mother but is 'In a delusional state" and "experiencing hallucinations".

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Verzilov - who also Canadian as well as Russian citizenship - became ill after attending a court hearing and has been in hospital for two days but his condition was only disclosed over overnight.

His 21-year-old girlfriend Veronika ‘Nika’ Nikulshina called for medical help after he went into “convulsions” and became “delirious” on Tuesday.

Nikulshina, an economic student, model and protester, said Verzilov became ill after seeing friends following a court hearing into a case against her.

He complained of tiredness and became nervous and anxious, she said.

“When the ambulance arrived, he answered their questions and said no to everything – he did not eat anything, he did not take any medicine.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock) (Image: X90079) (Image: REUTERS)

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“He was quickly getting worse, he had convulsions.

“On the way to the ambulance he started to rave.

“He was in a kind of semi-conscious condition, he stopped recognising me.”

He was moved to the toxicology department but doctors refused to explain anything to Nikulshina on poisoning because “the status of a girlfriend does not give me any rights”.

She was told only that his condition was “grave” .

But Verzilov’s mother was also blocked from seeing her son.

“She was told that they were not allowed to disclose any information,” said a relative.

(Image: east2west news)

(Image: east2west news)

“They were rude and sent her away.

“They said they could not let her in.

“They pointed at the paper that they could not say anything before the patient signs it - and he was in coma.”

In one of his latest protests, Verzilov and members of Pussy Riot stormed the pitch at the FIFA World Cup final between France and Croatia in July in front of a watching Putin.

The group demanded freedom of speech in Russia.

For years he has been a thorn in Putin’s side.

(Image: ABACA USA)

On Monday Nikulshina and a friend were detained in a car.

Pussy Riot claimed in a tweet: “Moscow police is now claiming that Nika and her friend were refusing to agree to a ‘terrorist check’ of their car – and they had to be arrested. Crazy accusations!

“The girls have been arrested in their car for absolutely NOTHING. Moscow police is still mad after the World Cup action.”

Both Verzilov and his girlfriend were jailed for 15 days after their World Cup protest.

Verzilov became known in late 2000s as a member of “Voina” (War) group together with his then wife Tolokonnikova.

They have a daughter together.