Russian activist claims she was poisoned ‘possibly by nerve agent’ whereas in Europe
T
he head of a Russian pro-democracy organisation has mentioned she believes she was poisoned, presumably by a nerve agent.
Natalia Arno mentioned she skilled “unusual signs” while on a trip to Europe and woke up at 5am next day with “acute pains”.
The US-based Free Russia Foundation president said she decided to get the next fight back to the US, where she has been recovering.
In a post on Facebook, Ms Arno said: “There is a suspicion that during my recent trip to Europe I was poisoned, possibly by some nerve agent, investigated by one (or not even one) Western intelligence agency.
“I still have neuropathy symptoms, but overall I feel much better.”
Ms Arno said she found her hotel room door open after returning from meetings in the second city of her trip and that she encountered a “foreign and sharp” scent as she entered.
On the night time of the incident in early May, she mentioned she felt “unusual” that morphed into “acute” pain.
Two weeks later, her symptoms have improved but have yet to fully disappear, she said.
“I wanted to warn our exiled anti-war anti-regime pro-democracy Russian community that we should not lose vigilance,” she said.
“They will not be able to intimidate and shut us up – that the enemy is dangerous, aggressive and criminal, we know it very well.”
In 2018, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia had been poisoned by nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in Wiltshire.
Police officer Nick Bailey together with two members of the general public, Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, had been additionally poisoned. Ms Sturgess later died.
In August 2020, Russian opposition determine and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent, which left him hospitalised in a critical situation.
The 46-year-old is presently serving concurrent sentences of 11.5 years for fraud and contempt of courtroom in Russia – on expenses which he mentioned had been trumped as much as take away him from public life.