A resident of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug sentenced to 12 years has gone on hunger strike in a pre-trial detention centre.

Igor Yakunichev, who was convicted over anti-war videos posted on VKontakte, has gone on hunger strike in Pretrial Detention Centre No. 5 in Yekaterinburg, a major city in the Urals. This was reported by Kevin Leak, a former political prisoner released in a prisoner exchange.

According to Yakunichev’s mother, on 9 September she tried to send her son a care package, but he refused it. She also heard about the start of the hunger strike today from an acquaintance in Yekaterinburg. At their most recent visit, Yakunichev told his mother he was very worried about a cyst on his neck and spinal problems, but no one was responding to his complaints.

On 5 September, the Central District Military Court sentenced Yakunichev, a resident of Yamalo-Nenets, to 12 years in a penal colony on charges of spreading “fake news” about the Russian army (clause “d” part 2 article 207.3 of the Criminal Code), “discrediting” the army (part 1 article 280.3 of the Criminal Code), calling for terrorism (part 2 article 205.2 of the Criminal Code), and activities targeting state security (clause “v” part 2 article 280.4 of the Criminal Code).

All charges are based on posts Yakunichev made on VKontakte in 2022–2023. In them, Yakunichev shared videos from various bloggers about the killing of civilians in Bucha, which was under Russian military control, the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, and the “Freedom of Russia” legion, which fights as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A criminal case was opened against Yakunichev in spring 2023. Initially, he was charged only under the “fake news” article. Yakunichev reported that he was beaten during his arrest. At first, the court imposed restrictions on certain activities as pretrial measures, but a year later he was remanded in custody.

This summer, Yakunichev said that since April he has been held in solitary confinement in Yekaterinburg’s Pretrial Detention Centre No. 5 and, before that, was kept in a punishment cell. He also did not receive letters from his mother, nor the medicines needed for his spinal injury. Due to the conditions of his detention, he filed complaints and lawsuits in court. According to Yakunichev, because of this, a senior investigator at the detention centre threatened him with “sexual violence.”

You can support Igor Yakunichev by sending him a letter via our Vestochka service and demand he be given medical help via our Dyatel service.