Russian political prisoners called for hunger strike solidarity on October 30

Several Russian politicians and public figures, who are behind bars and recognized as political prisoners, announced that they will hold a one-day hunger strike on October 30 and called on everyone who wants to support them to join this action.

The text of the appeal is published on Alexei Navalny’s website. In addition to the founder of FBK, it was signed by Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Liliya Chanysheva, Daniel Kholodny and Vadym Ostanin.

As stated in the appeal, the initiators of the action want to return to October 30 “the old, again relevant name of “the day of the political prisoner”. Now this day is the day of remembrance of the victims of political repressions. The authors of the appeal note that the history of this day began on October 30, 1974, when Soviet political prisoners Kronid Lubarsky and Aleksey Murzhenko in Dubrovlag held a symbolic one-day hunger strike in order to achieve recognition of the status of political prisoners, the abolition of restrictions on correspondence, parcels and transfers, an increase in the number of visits with relatives, receiving full medical care.

“Eating food on this day was considered the ‘last thing’. Even despite the fact that prison administrations throughout the country punished everyone who refused food on this day by throwing them in the SHIZO and solitary confinement,” Navalny and other authors of the petition write. They also draw attention to the fact that the “Memorial” society, which organized actions on the day of remembrance of the victims of repression, was liquidated by the authorities, “and there are political prisoners again, and many.”

The message does not say whether there are any demands for the one-day hunger strike.

In the spring of 2021, Navalny went on hunger strike for several weeks, seeking medical care.