Pussy Riot member detained in probe: reports
June 21, 2020
Kremlin critic Pyotr Verzilov, a prominent member of the Pussy Riot protest group, is being held by the Russian police anti-extremism division, state news agency Tass reported Sunday.
A source quoted by Russia's Interfax news agency said Verzilov was brought before investigators to testify in a criminal case concerning extremist content posted on social networks.
Read more: Poisoned Pussy Riot activist: The Kremlin was sending a 'warning sign'
The Mediazona website, which Verzilov founded along with other Pussy Riot members, reported that he had been seized at his apartment in the Russian capital on Sunday morning by men who broke down the door.
He hasn't been heard from since, the publication said.
2018 stunt made him famous
The activist garnered worldwide media attention in 2018 when he and three other Pussy Riot members stormed onto the field during the World Cup football final in Moscow to protest against police brutality.
They served 15 days in prison for the stunt.
In September of that same year, Verzilov fell ill in Moscow from what he said was a suspected poisoning. He was then flown to Germany for treatment.
While Berlin doctors found no traces of poison in his system, they said poisoning was the most plausible explanation for his symptoms, which included loss of vision and disorientation.
nm/mm (AP, Interfax)
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