Valery Kachin ended his hunger strike after 17 days in solitary confinement.
Scholar Valery Kachin, who is being held in a pretrial detention center in Udmurtia, ended his hunger strike after 17 days in solitary confinement. He announced this in a letter published in a volunteer chat. сообщает "First Department." Kachin lost a lot of weight during this time.
What did Valery Kachin write in the letter?
"I'm in a pretty bad place. It's a swamp! I spent 17 days in solitary confinement <…> From October 18.10th to October 21.10st—3,5 days—I was on a hunger strike without food or water, losing 9 kg during that time. This time, the hunger strike hit my ureter and intestines. Sand, blood <…>"
— reads the letter, in which the censor crossed out much. Even before the hunger strike, Kachin was emaciated: he weighed 60 kg and was 182 cm tall.
Why did Valery Kachin go on a hunger strike?
Information about the announcement of a hunger strike appeared October 21. Kachin cited a series of bullying and physical abuse by detention center staff as the reason for this move. He wrote that he was constantly kept in solitary confinement.
The treason case and the verdict
Valery Kachin is a geodetic scientist from BirobidzhanHe spoke out against the war and was sentenced to 14 years in prison in January 2025 for treason. He was accused of collecting and transmitting information about infrastructure facilities to the Ukrainian side. Jewish autonomous region, as well as the intention to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The scientist pleaded not guilty.
