In Moscow, hunger strike in solidarity with Astrakhan hunger-strikers begins

Sergey Udaltsov, the coordinator of the movement "Left-Wing Front", announced the beginning of a hunger strike in solidarity with Oleg Shein, ex-candidate for the position of Mayor of Astrakhan. At present, five members of the "Left-Wing Front" participate in the hunger strike.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the political hunger strike is taking place in Astrakhan since March 15 to protest against the outcomes of the municipal election held on March 4, which, according to the official information, was won by Mikhail Stolyarov. The hunger-strikers has declared that they are ready to demand cancellation of the election results in court after obtaining video records of vote counting from electoral precincts, where violations had been registered.

The hunger strike of the activists of the "Left-Wing Front" takes place in a room of online edition "Svobodnaya Pressa" (Free Press) in Bolshaya Spasskaya Street. Sergey Udaltsov himself intends to join the protest action later, "tonight or tomorrow," the "Radio Station "Freedom" quotes him as saying.

The decision about the hunger strike was made during the action, which was held today at the representative office of the Astrakhan Region. The activists of the "Left-Wing Front" have reported that they are ready to begin a hunger strike in solidarity with the Astrakhan oppositionists and that they are not afraid for their health. Sergey Udaltsov proposed to select the edition office as the place for the hunger strike "not to politicize the story", the "Kommersant FM" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at the moment, 18 persons continue the political hunger strike in Astrakhan, and six of them participate in the protest action from the very beginning.