European Court chairman could be poisoned in Russia

The former chairman of the European Human Rights Court Lucius Wieldhaber could be poisoned during a visit to Russia, the Swiss told the Neue Zuricher Zeitung newspaper.

Late last October he returned home very sick from a three-day business trip to Russia.

He was officially diagnosed with blood poisoning, but doctors failed to determine the exact cause of the sickness.

The judge believes that he could have been poisoned, but he has no evidence, as the laboratory destroyed the materials of the tests.

Wieldhaber links the attempt on his life with his professional activity in Strasbourg. During his time in office, the Russian authorities used to put him under pressure during the hearings of cases, associated with the human rights violations in Russia.