The Hindu : International : Yushchenko was poisoned, say doctors

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Sunday, Dec 12, 2004

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International

Yushchenko was poisoned, say doctors

Viktor Yushchenko, whose face has been disfigured by illness. — AP

VIENNA (AUSTRIA), DEC. 11. The Ukrainian Opposition leader and presidential candidate, Viktor Yushchenko's mysterious illness was caused by dioxin poisoning, doctors said on Saturday.

``There is no doubt about the fact that Mr. Yushchenko's disease has been caused by a case of poisoning by dioxin,'' said Dr. Michael Zimpfer, director of Vienna's private Rudolfinerhaus clinic.

Tests run over the past 24 hours provided conclusive evidence of the poisoning, Dr. Zimpfer said.

Authorities accused

Mr. Yushchenko has accused Ukrainian authorities of trying to poison him in the run-up to a presidential vote marred by fraud. Ukraine's Supreme Court voided the outcome of that vote, which Mr. Yushchenko lost to the Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovich, and a rerun of the ballot is slated for December 26.

Mr. Yushchenko first fell ill in September and was rushed to the Vienna hospital. He resumed campaigning later in the month but with a pockmarked and badly disfigured face. He returned to the hospital later in September for further treatment and checked in for a third time on Friday.

Dr. Zimpfer said, ``We started last night to do the entire imaging, including nuclear medicine, to look at the function of the organs, skeletal system and to see what kind of damage might be hiding,'' he said. Doctors were also investigating Mr. Yushchenko's blood.

His wife, Kateryna Yushchenko, said in a television interview on Friday she had tasted ``medicine'' on his lips the night before he became sick.

``He is a very healthy man and I tasted some medicine on his breath, on his lips and I asked him about it,'' she said on ABC's ``Good Morning America.'' ``He brushed it away saying there was nothing, but the next day he did become ill and over the next two to three days he got worse and worse until we finally had to rush him to a hospital.''

``Actually, he was very lucky that he was brought to Vienna because doctors said if he would stay another 24 hours in Ukraine, it could be a `final solution,' so called,'' Oleh Rybachuk, Mr. Yushchenko's chief of staff, said in a televised interview on Friday.

Mr. Yushchenko told reporters on arrival on Friday that he would stay at the clinic until Monday, unless tests were finished before then.

He arrived in a convoy of three cars, surrounded by bodyguards, and was accompanied by his wife. ``Everything is going well. I plan to live for a long time and I plan to live happily. I am getting better health every day,'' said Mr. Yushchenko, wearing a scarf in his orange campaign colour. — AP

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