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Putin Critic, Who Said He Was Poisoned in 2015, Falls Into Coma Putin Critic, Who Said He Was Poisoned in 2015, Falls Into Coma
(2 days later)
MOSCOW — A leader of the Russian opposition who has been a vocal critic of what he calls a Kremlin policy of assassinating political enemies has fallen into a life-threatening coma caused by an unknown poison, his wife said on Monday.MOSCOW — A leader of the Russian opposition who has been a vocal critic of what he calls a Kremlin policy of assassinating political enemies has fallen into a life-threatening coma caused by an unknown poison, his wife said on Monday.
The diagnosis of what ailed Vladimir Kara-Murza came at a delicate political moment for the United States and Russia, as President Trump had just brushed aside criticism of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as a “killer.” The diagnosis of what ailed Vladimir Kara-Murza came at a delicate political moment for the United States and Russia, as President Trump had just brushed aside criticism of the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, as a “killer.”
“There are a lot of killers,” Mr. Trump had said in the interview on Fox News on Sunday. “You think our country’s so innocent?” The Kremlin then demanded that Fox News apologize for the host Bill O’Reilly’s characterization of Mr. Putin. “There are a lot of killers,” Mr. Trump said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday. “You think our country’s so innocent?” The Kremlin then demanded that Fox News apologize for the host Bill O’Reilly’s characterization of Mr. Putin.
In Moscow, Mr. Kara-Murza, 35, has been in a coma and at the center of a politically hued medical mystery since Thursday as doctors puzzled over his symptoms while keeping him alive on artificial respiration. In Moscow, Mr. Kara-Murza, 35, has been in a coma and at the center of a politically hued medical mystery since Thursday as doctors puzzle over his symptoms while keeping him alive on artificial respiration.
Mr. Kara-Murza suffered similar symptoms in 2015 and later said he had been poisoned. Then, a French laboratory found elevated levels of heavy metals in his blood but was unable to pinpoint any specific poison.Mr. Kara-Murza suffered similar symptoms in 2015 and later said he had been poisoned. Then, a French laboratory found elevated levels of heavy metals in his blood but was unable to pinpoint any specific poison.
Doctors determined the cause this time as “acute intoxication by an unidentified substance,” Mr. Kara-Murza’s wife, Yevgeniya Kara-Murza, said in an interview. His condition was stable but critical, she added. Doctors determined the cause this time as “acute intoxication by an unidentified substance,” Mr. Kara-Murza’s wife, Yevgeniya Kara-Murza, said in an interview. His condition is stable but critical, she added.
“The onset was just as sudden as last time,” Ms. Kara-Murza said. “He is all surrounded by machines and covered in tubes.” Other than poisoning, she said, “We don’t see any other explanation.” “The onset was just as sudden as last time,” Ms. Kara-Murza said. “He is all surrounded by machines and covered in tubes.” Other than poisoning, she said, “we don’t see any other explanation.”
Ms. Kara-Murza said samples of her husband’s blood, hair and fingernails had been sent to laboratories in France and Israel in an effort to identify the mystery toxin.Ms. Kara-Murza said samples of her husband’s blood, hair and fingernails had been sent to laboratories in France and Israel in an effort to identify the mystery toxin.
After the 2015 episode, Mr. Kara-Murza recuperated in the United States and suffered lingering nerve damage for about a year, but returned to his political activism in Russia despite threats. The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, for example, posted a photograph of Mr. Kara-Murza in cross hairs.After the 2015 episode, Mr. Kara-Murza recuperated in the United States and suffered lingering nerve damage for about a year, but returned to his political activism in Russia despite threats. The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, for example, posted a photograph of Mr. Kara-Murza in cross hairs.
Last month, Mr. Kara-Murza submitted a letter critical of Mr. Putin’s government to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during cabinet confirmation hearings for Rex W. Tillerson, the secretary of state.Last month, Mr. Kara-Murza submitted a letter critical of Mr. Putin’s government to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during cabinet confirmation hearings for Rex W. Tillerson, the secretary of state.
“There are higher risks than slander or imprisonment for those who oppose the regime,” Mr. Kara-Murza wrote. In Russia, he had been traveling to provincial cities to show a documentary about another Russian politician, Boris Y. Nemtsov, who was shot and killed on a Moscow bridge two years ago.“There are higher risks than slander or imprisonment for those who oppose the regime,” Mr. Kara-Murza wrote. In Russia, he had been traveling to provincial cities to show a documentary about another Russian politician, Boris Y. Nemtsov, who was shot and killed on a Moscow bridge two years ago.
On the Fox program, Mr. Trump said he respected Mr. Putin and hoped Russia and the United States could join forces to defeat Islamic terrorism. The host, Mr. O’Reilly, responded: “He’s a killer though. Putin’s a killer.” It was unclear whether the characterization referred to the unsolved assassination of dissidents, muckraking journalists and opposition politicians or allegations of war crimes in Syria, Ukraine or Chechnya.On the Fox program, Mr. Trump said he respected Mr. Putin and hoped Russia and the United States could join forces to defeat Islamic terrorism. The host, Mr. O’Reilly, responded: “He’s a killer though. Putin’s a killer.” It was unclear whether the characterization referred to the unsolved assassination of dissidents, muckraking journalists and opposition politicians or allegations of war crimes in Syria, Ukraine or Chechnya.
The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters Monday that the description was “unacceptable, insulting.”The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters Monday that the description was “unacceptable, insulting.”
The Soviet Union operated a secret laboratory to research untraceable poisons that were tested on condemned gulag prisoners, security service defectors have said.The Soviet Union operated a secret laboratory to research untraceable poisons that were tested on condemned gulag prisoners, security service defectors have said.
In 2006, a Russian law legalized targeted killing abroad. Russia has never acknowledged using the authority under that law and has specifically denied any government ties to high-profile poisoning cases.In 2006, a Russian law legalized targeted killing abroad. Russia has never acknowledged using the authority under that law and has specifically denied any government ties to high-profile poisoning cases.
But after whistle-blowers and opponents of Mr. Putin in recent years began dying from exotic poisons, including radioactive plutonium and a rare Himalayan plant toxin, critics of the Russian government and independent researchers have asserted that the post-Soviet government has turned again to its poison arsenal. But after whistle-blowers and opponents of Mr. Putin in recent years began dying from exotic poisons, including radioactive poloniumand a rare Himalayan plant toxin, critics of the Russian government and independent researchers have asserted that the post-Soviet government has turned again to its poison arsenal.