Khodorkovsky Ends Hunger Strike

By Unknown

Feb. 12, 2008

Jailed former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky said Monday he had ended the hunger strike that he had began 14 days ago to protest the authorities' treatment of Vasily Aleksanyan, the former Yukos executive suffering from AIDS-related cancer and tuberculosis.

Authorities had suspended Aleksanyan's trial for embezzlement and money-laundering and on Friday transferred him to an undisclosed hospital -- after previous refusals.

"In connection with Aleksanyan's transfer to hospital, I am ending the hunger strike," Khodorkovsky said in a statement on a web site run by his defense team.

Aleksanyan was diagnosed with HIV several months after being arrested in April 2006.

Lawyer Yelena Lvova said she and Aleksanyan's other lawyers went from hospital to hospital until they located their client.

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