The Federal Prison Service, in perhaps the most blatantly stupid comment ever, have claimed that Mikhail Khodorkovsky is most definitely not on hunger strike. In fact, if the prison authorities are to be believed, Khodorkovsky is eating like a king:
Prison authorities denied on Wednesday that jailed former Yukos CEO
Mikhail Khodorkovsky had gone on a hunger strike over what he saw as
unfair treatment of his ex-business associate. Khodorkovsky purchased
4,200 rubles ($147) worth of food products Tuesday and receives $1,000
worth of food every month, the Moscow branch of the Federal Prison
Service said Wednesday.
$1,000 dollars per month??? Good Lord, what are they feeding the man? Caviar and truffles? If he’s eating his way through this much food, Khodorkovsky needs to go on a hunger strike to protect his own health, not Platon Lebedev’s.
August 25th, 2005 at 8:21 pm
Sounds like they are rattled. And according to RFEL here, Lebedev is back in a “normal” cell
August 25th, 2005 at 8:23 pm
Sorry, no good at html. Here’s the link: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/8/72162379-f847-4b00-8702-d0faf0c762bb.html.
So now Khodorkhovsky can enjoy a celebration dinner with the others in his cell. $1000 should go a long way.
August 25th, 2005 at 10:09 pm
As far as I’m aware, Lebedev was in the cell for a 7 day punishment, which was due to expire today anyway.
The prison authorities have done exactly what they said they would. Khodorkovsky will be able to come off his hunger strike now - I wonder if he’ll try to imply that his hunger strike had any affect?