12:55, 4 July 2017

Arthur Panov starts new hunger strike

Arthur Panov and Maxim Smyshlyaev in the court. Photo by Konstantin Volgin for the Caucasian Knot.

At the beginning of the today's hearing at the North-Caucasian District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, Arthur Panov, a citizen of Ukraine, accused of plotting a terror act, has reported that he declared a hunger strike on June 25 with the demand to extradite him to Ukraine.

Arthur Panov, a 19-year-old resident of the town of Krasnodon of the Lugansk Region of Ukraine, is accused of plotting a terror act.

Arthur Panov has read out to judges his appeal to the UN office in Russia. In his appeal, he states that on June 25, he declared hunger strike with the demand to extradite him to Ukraine. The defendant has also demanded to let an independent commission of physicians visit the SIZO (pre-trial prison).

Arthur Panov has also added that he plans to continue his hunger strike "until he wins," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports from the courtroom.

Arthur Panov declares hunger strike for the fourth time. Let us remind you that recently, he went on hunger strike on May 3; however, according to members of the Public Oversight Commission (POC) for the Rostov Region, who visited him, he held it during one day only.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.