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Russian Opposition Activist Kara-Murza Comes Out of Coma

Vladimir Kara-Murza, Jr.

Prominent Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. has emerged from a coma, a week after suffering severe renal failure that his allies said could have been caused by poisoning.

Former oil tycoon-turned-opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky announced the news in a brief Twitter message late Tuesday, saying: "Vladimir has come out of a coma."

Kara-Murza's wife, Yevgenia, said Tuesday night that her husband was "opening his eyes and recognizing his family," reported the news portal Open Russia, which was founded by Khodorkovsky and where Kara-Murza serves as coordinator.

"I am afraid to believe [the improvements]," she was quoted as saying.

Kara-Murza, 33, is also a leader of RPR-Parnas party, which was co-founded by opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot and killed in central Moscow on Feb. 27.

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