Story highlights Putin critic "too weak to speak" after being awoken from medically induced coma

Kremlin denies any connection to Kara-Murza's illness, calling claims "pure nonsense"

(CNN) A vocal critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who says he was poisoned in 2015, has awoken from a medically induced coma after being hospitalized in Moscow last week, his wife tells CNN.

It is the second time in two years that Vladimir Kara-Murza, 35, has been hospitalized in grave condition, and his wife, Evgenia, claims the Kremlin is to blame.

"The Russian government and President Putin are responsible for what happened to my husband two years ago, and now, one way or another, I'm not saying that they're the ones who did that, but they've created such a climate in our country, that actually encourages this kind of behavior," Evgenia said.

CNN cannot independently confirm her claims, and Russia has denied any connection to Kara-Murza's illness.

"It's pure nonsense to make any connection of this unfortunate case with President Putin," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN.

Kara-Murza with his wife, Evgenia, and their three children.

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