Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov has been flown over to Germany for treatment related to a suspected poisoning he suffered earlier this week.

Just a matter of days ago, Russian collective Pussy Riot announced that Veronika Nikulshina and a friend had been arrested while driving in Moscow. While no reason was initially given for their arrest, the group noted that the Russian government still held a grudge in regards to their controversial World Cup protest back in July.

Pitchfork later confirmed that Pyotr Verzilov (husband of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and a participant in the World Cup protest) was also arrested while leaving his home.

Following this incident, fears were raised that Verzilov may have been poisoned after he began to inexplicably lose his sight, speech, and mobility following a court hearing for Veronika Nikulshina.

“[He] became worse in geometric progression,” Nikulshina explained. “First sight, then the ability to talk, then the ability to walk right.”

Now, as the BBC reports, Pyotr Verzilov has not only regained consciousness, but has been flown over to Germany for further treatment.

Reports indicate that Verzilov’s flight has been organised by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, a non-profit organisation that has supported Pussy Riot in the past.

As German tabloid Bild noted, Verzilov’s wife Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was on hand to greet him at the airport. “I assume that he was deliberately poisoned and that it was either about intimidation or even an assassination attempt,” she explained in an interview .

On Friday, Pussy Riot descended upon the US to perform at Chicago’s Riot Fest, where its members were spotted holding a sign that noted “We will punish those who poisoned Peter Verzilov”.

Interestingly, incidents also occurred just weeks after the Russian government was ordered to compensate Pussy Riot over their 2012 arrest which made global headlines.

Footage of the group’s arrest in Russia’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral went viral, and the members were initially sentenced to two years in jail after being accused of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”.

However, the European Court of Human Rights has condemned Russia’s actions, noting that their response to the group’s protest was “exceptionally severe”, and ordered them to pay €48,760 (AUD$76,581) in damages and judicial expenses.

Check out Pussy Riot’s ‘Police State’:

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