On the 52nd day of his hunger strike, Chechen Ali Bataev needs medical help

A native of Chechnya, Ali Bataev, was taken to a medical centre in Zurich on the 52nd day of his hunger strike, after which he was returned to the deportation centre, the "European Peace House" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Bataev's health condition became critical amid his 51-day-long hunger strike, which he held at the deportation centre in Switzerland.

Bataev was not provided with proper medical help, Mr Mamishov has suggested, noting that Bataev categorically refuses to stop his hunger strike.

"We've visited the deportation centre and strongly demanded from its bosses to hospitalize Bataev. We also saw him – he was in a terrible condition; he couldn't walk and could hardly speak," the "Kavkaz.Realii"* project has quoted Lachin Mamishov as saying.

According to Mamishov, the bosses of the deportation centre demanded that visitors sign certain documents "in order to relieve themselves of responsibility for his life."

Let us remind you that on July 14, it became known that Swiss authorities had treated Ali Bataev's stay in the country as illegal, as he had arrived from Ukraine, and intended to send him to Russia. Bataev went on a hunger strike, as he is sure that in Russia he will be persecuted by Chechen authorities.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.