Pyotr Verzilov, the Russian activist hospitalized with what his friends fear are symptoms of poisoning, has played a key role in audacious and high-profile political protests in Russia over the past decade and drawn international attention for his involvement in the punk art group Pussy Riot.
While far from a household name in Russia, the 30-year-old former philosophy student is a well-known figure on Russia’s political scene and the publisher of Mediazona, an independent news site founded by Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova that covers Russia’s criminal justice system.
