Lawyers say "Bolotnaya case" defendant may die of hunger strike
MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax) - Sergei Krivov, a defendant in the case involving the mass riots that occurred in Moscow's Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012, who has been on a hunger strike for over sixty days, has no intention of stopping his hunger strike despite his serious health condition, his lawyer Vyacheslav Makarov said.
"I talk to him every day and he is not stopping his hunger strike. He is not getting any medical assistance," a lawyer for Krivov told Interfax on Monday.
Participants in the "Bolotnaya case" trial said earlier on Monday that Krivov had fainted in the courtroom.
"People who have been on hunger strike for this long begin to die. I hope it won't happen to Sergei, but the situation is very bad. Today he refused to go to court, citing his health condition, but the doctor at the detention facility signed a paper saying he can attend the hearing, without examining him. The emergency services whom I called were not barred from the courtroom by bailiffs under a ruling issued by the court, which believed the paper signed by the doctor at the detention facility, which I believe was forged," Makarov said.
The lawyer said he has called the Health Ministry hotline to report his client's health, but there was no reaction. "There was no response from the Health Ministry," he said.
"We are doing everything possible, we request medical evaluations for Krivov at every hearing. We have turned to the prosecutor general, the Federal Service for the Enforcement of Punishments, the Health Ministry, and everyone who is supposed to fulfill their duties, but there was no reaction," the lawyer said.
Makarov told Interfax on Wednesday his client had been on hunger strike since September 19 and has no intention of stopping his hunger strike. "He drinks water. All food has been taken from him. He was in solitary confinement several weeks ago," the lawyer said.
Krivov insists that his detention is illegal and demands timely provision of protocols of court hearings, which, according to Makarov reach his client a month late.
Krivov earlier went on hunger strike in the period between December 14, 2012 and January 25, 2013.
