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Former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal and his daugther, Yulia Skripal, who were poisoned and found unconscious on a bench, at the Salisbury shopping mall in England, are now stable but still in critical condition.
The doctors say that they could suffer long-term brain damage as a result of the poison. Experts at the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory in Britain, identified the nerve agent used against the Skripals to be a part of the Soviet-developed “Novichok” group.
“The precise effect of their exposure on their long term health remains unclear, but medical tests indicate that their mental capacity might be compromised to an unknown and so far unascertained degree,” said Justice Williams, the judge at U.K.’s Court of Protection, referring to information received from doctors.
“At present both Mr and Ms Skripal are critical but stable; it is not inconceivable that their condition could rapidly deteriorate,” the judge said.
A doctor treating the victims at Salisbury District Hospital, said that Skripal was unable to communicate in any way, and his daughter was unable to communicate in any “meaningful way.” The doctor said that it was not yet possible to tell whether the pair can recover but that they are being treated “on the basis that they would wish to be kept alive and to achieve optimal recovery.”
The judge also ruled that doctors can pass fresh blood samples from the victims to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), along with their medical records, to assist in the investigation. The judge made his decision after analyzing the case at a private hearing earlier this week. He made the ruling under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 because the Skripals are unable to give consent.
The OPCW conducted a few tests in the areas visited by Skripal and his daugther in Salisbury, and the results are expected to take a minimum of two weeks. Yulia Skripal was visiting her father from Russia. Sergei Skripal has been living in the U.K. since 2010.
Britain holds Russia responsible for the incident. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced on March 14, the decision to expel 23 diplomats from the country.
The police in Britain have said that the criminal investigation is likely to take several months.
