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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Nerve Agent Poisoning Victim Released from UK Hospital

Soldiers wearing protective suits work at a site in Winterslow, near Salisbury, Britain, March 12, 2018. (Reuters)

One of two Britons poisoned by a nerve agent that was used to poison a former Russian agent was discharged from hospital on Friday.

Nerve agent victim Charlie Rowley, 45, was released from Salisbury District Hospital after three weeks of treatment since being poisoned to Novichok last month.

Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell ill after being exposed to the poison in southwest England, close to where Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were attacked with the same substance in March.

Sturgess died earlier this month and her death is being treated as murder.

"I am pleased to confirm that earlier today, Charlie Rowley was discharged from hospital. Charlie has been through an appalling experience most of us could never imagine," said hospital director Lorna Wilkinson in a statement.

Britain blamed Russia for the poisoning of the Skripals, who are recovering after lengthy hospitalizations. The incident sparked mass tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions as relations between the countries soured. Russia has denied the charges.

Police say the source of the Novichok which killed Sturgess was a small bottle they found in Rowley's house, and more than 400 items have been recovered as part of the murder investigation.

Paul Cosford of Public Health England said it was safe for Rowley to leave hospital.

"Mr. Rowley's discharge creates no risk to anyone in the community," he added in a statement.

The nursing director said "many people" had come to the hospital concerned about possible exposure to Novichok but that only the five victims already identified had been exposed to the lethal nerve agent.

Novichok was produced by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said police will work with local agencies to make sure Rowley gets the support he needs as he continues to recover.

British officials have taken the Skripals to a secret location for their own protection.

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