Russian Federal Penitentiary Service Deputy Director Valery Maximenko, stated that Sentsov “has stopped his hunger strike” and “has also agreed to start eating.”
“Consultations were held with Moscow’s best nutritionists on ways to rehabilitate him. A special diet has been developed to improve his health condition," TASS quoted Maximenko as saying.
Sentsov began a hunger strike in May of this year, demanding that Russia release him and all other Ukrainian political prisoners in its custody. Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison on terrorism charges after a trial widely seen as politically motivated.
But Russian authorities are not sharing some details. Sentsov released a statement on ”the critical state of my health, as well as the beginning of pathological changes in my internal organs, in the near future they are planning to use forced-feeding on me.”
TASS quoted Russian Presidential Human Rights Council head Mikhail Fedotov as expressing concern over Sentsov’s health.
"It is very dangerous for a man's health. I hope that doctors who have been monitoring his condition will take all the necessary measures to ensure there is no negative impact on his health," Fedotov was quoted as saying.
“My opinion is no longer taken into account,” Sentsov said in his statement. “Allegedly, I am no longer able to adequately assess my level of health and the danger to it. Forced feeding will be carried out as part of resuscitation measures to save the patient's life. In these conditions, I am forced to stop my hunger strike from tomorrow -- i.e., from 10.6.18.”
Sentsov apologized to those he said he may have failed, ending his statement on a patriotic Ukrainian note:“Glory to Ukraine!”