Pyotr Verzilov, who invaded pitch in World Cup, ‘lost sight and speech’ before falling ill

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A member of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot who ran on to the pitch during the World Cup final is in intensive care in hospital after losing his vision and being unable to walk.

Fellow members of the group say they believe Pyotr Verzilov was poisoned.

“Our friend, brother, comrade Petr [Pyotr] Verzilov is in reanimation,” Pussy Riot wrote on Twitter, using the common Russian translation for intensive care. “His life is in danger. We think that he was poisoned.”

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Verzilov’s sickness was reported on Wednesday night, when another member of the group told the Russian-language news outlet Meduza that Verzilov had suddenly fallen ill.

Over a period of two hours “he got worse exponentially”, Veronika Nikulshina, a member of Pussy Riot who is in a relationship with Verzilov, told Meduza. “First his sight, then his ability to speak, then even his ability to walk.”

Play Video 0:54 Pussy Riot claim responsibility for World Cup final pitch invasion - video

Verzilov was one of four members of the group to invade the pitch, dressed in a police officer’s uniform, during the World Cup final between France and Croatia. It was part of a protest against Russian police brutality after a series of torture allegations were reported from prisons and police interrogation rooms across the country.

Verzilov reportedly fell ill after Nikulshina and another member of Pussy Riot attended a court hearing.

Verzilov has been involved in protest art in Russia for more than a decade, participating in both the Voina art collective and the formation of Pussy Riot.

He recently became the publisher of Mediazona, an independent Russian-language site founded by Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and, which focuses on court cases and conditions in Russian prisons.