Mikhail Trepashkin on hunger strike in Nizhni Tagil colony

Mikhail Trepashkin, former FSB officer, serving his term at Nizhni Tagil colony for disclosing a state secret, has gone on a hunger strike. "In protest against what is being done with regard to Trepashkin, he has resorted to extreme measures and gone on hunger strike," states Elena Liptser, the convict's lawyer. According to her, Trepashkin's health is not good and the hunger strike may only deteriorate his condition, "there is even a threat to his life."

Today, Sverdlovsk Region court refused the grant of parole to Trepashkin. "Today, the cassation application has been considered in the absence of the Moscow lawyers, despite the fact that we asked the hearing to be postponed. We have notified the court that we are engaged in other trials," reports the defence lawyer to the RIA "Novosti."

"Yes, the ruling to refuse the grant of parole has been passed by the court. But the trouble is that neither me nor Sergey Brovchenko, the other lawyer of Trepashkin, could attend the hearing, and we sent a telegram to Sverdlovsk court to this effect in advance," stated earlier Elena Liptser to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "I have just talked with the Trepashkin's local lawyer and she has told me that the court had an intention to consider the case today."

Earlier Mikhail Trepashkin himself stated to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: "I am deeply convinced that this is primarily a revenge for confronting Patrushev, the current FSB head. I think that he is a person who is not capable of ensuring safety of our citizens. It is a man who, by his moral qualities…If someone asks him to do something terrible he can do it."

For reference, after resigning from the security agency Trepashkin became a practicing lawyer and worked at the Public Commission on investigating 1999 terrorist acts in dwelling houses in Moscow. This work served as basis for the book by Yuri Felshtinskiy and Alexander Litvinenko "FSB Explodes Russia."