Democratic coalition’s Novosibirsk HQ ends hunger strike after plea by Khodorkovsky
On August 8, activists from the Novosibirsk headquarters of the Democratic Coalition decided to call off a hunger strike they had announced in protest against the government’s barring of opposition party candidates from regional elections. They resolved to do so after pleas from three coalition leaders: Parnas party chairman Mikhail Kasyanov, Party of Progress leader Alexei Navalny, and Open Russia chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Khodorkovsky’s tweet:
“I applaud the determination of the Democratic Coalition’s Novosibirsk HQ to go all the way, and I’ve experience of this myself, but I nevertheless appeal to them to call off the hunger strike. There’s more battles to be fought.”
“Novosibirsk confederates – you’re real warriors. Our future depends on your good health. I call on you to stop the hunger strike.”
“I echo the pleas made by Khodorkovsy and Kasyanov to call off the hunger strike in Novosibirsk.”
Led by Leonid Volkov, the activists’ hunger strike of activists continued for twelve days. On Saturday, Sergey Boyko, one of the strikers, was admitted to intensive care unit with a hypertensive emergency.
Besides Novosibirsk, Democratic Coalition candidates have also been barred from elections in the Kaluga, Kostroma and Magadan regions.
Alexei Navalny has proposed holding a large opposition rally in Moscow on September 13, the sole day of voting. This initiative has already been endorsed by Leonid Volkov.
