Ukraine

[Adora]

Anyway, just posting this here, because whilst it's a small country, the whole poisoning thing has really been quite dramatic.

As some of you may or may not know, the Ukraine is having election "issues". Whilst the elections are being re-run because the EU has declared "problems" (ie-corruption) made the first ones illegal, the opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned with dioxin.

This was a real surprise to me, because I know what the stuff does to your system (really fucking nasty) and I would have thought if someone really wanted to kill a political leader, they'd use something more efficent.

Anyway, here's a bit on the recent issue of him returning to the campaign, and here's an "after and before" photo. The lumps on his face are chloracne, probably one of the most obvious symptoms of dioxin poisoning (and incredibly painful). There are others though, and I have to wonder if Mr Yuschenko is going to be able to have kids (if he doesn't already) because dioxins also affect the reproductive organs and hormones*.

Anyway, here's a few more links, from your friendly ABC (Australia) news network. I <3 Aunty.

More stuff about the poisoning with photos.

Radio transcript discussing the re-election that's going to happen.

Looks like there is actually a silver lining to this dark cloud.

*I had to do an essay on the Japanese environment last semester, and I got to learn about lovely things like dioxins and methylmercurys and PCBs, which Japan is rather notorious for poisoning its environment and citizens with. So that's how I know this shit.

[wildernesse]

I've just noticed this story recently myself--the big papers over here knocked this (the illness, not the election protests and stuff) up to the front pages when the dioxin diagnosis came through, although he's apparently been ill for a few months now.

I'll be really interested in seeing how this all plays out--it feels so Soviet-spy-like. Thanks for the before and after pics--that's really horrible, and I read that he has/had a spinal drip due to the pain. It's really awful.

And while I could look this up for myself, since you mentioned that you know something about dioxin--more than me--is it one of those chemicals that remains in our fatty tissues and what not?

[JoeP]

Why something as inefficient as dioxin: I always assumed they didn't mean to kill him, just make him unable to campaign and/or be less "appealing" to voters, so that they could get Putin's puppet in under the appearance of a fair democratic vote. Maybe they assumed dioxin wouldn't be identifiable as a poison.

[Adora]

Originally Posted by wildernesse

And while I could look this up for myself, since you mentioned that you know something about dioxin--more than me--is it one of those chemicals that remains in our fatty tissues and what not?

I think so. Though don't quote me. I don't want to be sued.

Considering many people who have been poisoned by the substance still suffer the side-effects decades afterwards, I'd say even if it doesn't, it hangs around the body in some way, shape or form for a very long time.