Lyudmila Alexeyeva approves of Udaltsov's decision to stop hunger strike
MOSCOW. Aug 19 (Interfax) - Human rights activists have supported opposition activist Sergei Udaltsov's decision to stop his hunger strike in a detention facility, which lasted almost one month.
"He has done the right thing. I am always against hunger strikes. Hunger strikes are self-torture and this is very dangerous for one's health," Moscow Helsinki Group Head Lyudmila Alexeyeva told Interfax on Tuesday.
"Hunger strikes lead to serious diseases in the future and can shorten life considerably," Alexeyeva said.
Udaltsov's sentence is politically motivated, she said.
On July 24 the Moscow City Court sentenced opposition activists Sergei Udaltsov and Leonid Razvozzhayev to 4.5 years in prison each for organizing mass disturbances at Moscow's Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012 and plotting further disturbances in Russia.
Right after this, Udaltsov went on a hunger strike to protest against the verdict.
