Expatica news

Russian opposition leader hospitalised during hunger strike

Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of Russia’s opposition Left Front, on hunger strike in protest against a jail sentence was hospitalised Saturday after falling ill in a court room, his wife said.

Udaltsov was in court in Moscow appealing a 10-day sentence for failure to obey a police officer when he fell ill, Anastasia Udalstova told the Ria Novosti news agency.

He started refusing both food and drink in Thursday in protest at his conviction, the latest in a series of short sentences handed down against him for his regular attendance of banned opposition rallies.

A statement on his movement’s website said he had already fallen ill in his cell overnight Friday to Saturday but had refused to be taken to hospital.

So far this year, Udaltsov has been convicted 10 times to sentences running up to 15 days in prison, one of a number of opposition leaders to have received similar sentences in recent months.