A former government official from Moscow currently serving time in a Russian prison has initiated what he calls a “dry hunger strike,” rejecting both meals and water while behind bars.
Alexander Shestun, age 61, faces what he maintains are fabricated political accusations and has been recognized as a political prisoner by Memorial, Russia’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights organization. On Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court declared Memorial itself an “extremist movement.”
Last year, Shestun joined 10 other imprisoned dissidents in making an appeal to international leaders, requesting the mass freedom of Russian political prisoners and Ukrainian citizens detained by Russia as components of any potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
According to a letter obtained by Reuters, Shestun, who suffers from diabetes, ceased eating on March 30 and began refusing water on April 7.
His demands include restoring scheduled visits from his children to the correctional facility in the Tver region, located northwest of Moscow, which he states prison officials cancelled.
Additionally, he seeks proper medical attention following what he describes as an assault where prison personnel allegedly forced his head against the floor using their feet for approximately 15 minutes, resulting in the loss of three teeth.
Independent confirmation of this reported incident has not been possible. Reuters has sought a response from Russia’s prison service regarding these allegations.
“The federal prison system essentially leaves him no other option for defending his rights,” stated Elena Filina, an opposition politician in exile and human rights advocate, in comments to Reuters.
Authorities arrested Shestun in 2018 on corruption allegations that he dismissed as having political motivations.
Previously a member of the governing United Russia party and administrator of the Serpukhov district south of Moscow, Shestun became embroiled in a dispute with the influential leader of the Moscow region.
The widely publicized case saw Shestun take his story to YouTube, where he released a secretly recorded conversation with someone he named as an FSB security service general.
In the recording, the individual could be heard threatening that Shestun would be “steamrollered” and imprisoned if he declined to step down from his position.
Despite the warning, Shestun refused to resign and was subsequently taken into custody.
A court handed down a 15-year prison term in 2020, which later increased to 17 years following additional charges.
