Russian scientist jailed for “treason” begins dry hunger strike over abuse, violence in pretrial detention
Russian geodesist and scientist Valery Kachin, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison on treason charges, has begun a dry hunger strike at a pretrial detention center in Udmurtia, according to a report on Telegram by the human rights group Pervy Otdel. Kachin disclosed the hunger strike in a letter, writing that he had completely stopped eating and drinking after being subjected to abuse and…
Valery Kachin, a Russian geodesist and scientist serving a 14-year prison sentence for treason, has begun a dry hunger strike due to alleged abuse and violence from detention center staff, according to Pervy Otdel, a human rights group. In a letter, Kachin stated that he has stopped eating and drinking after experiencing repeated instances of mistreatment.
He detailed being placed in a punishment cell multiple times, including seven days, followed by ten days, and twice for 15 days. Kachin described a recent incident where he was thrown to the floor, causing injuries to his face, elbows, and knees. Kachin, who is 39 years old, 182 centimeters tall, and weighs around 60 kilograms, is described as being in an extremely weakened condition.
He was a junior researcher at the Bastak Nature Reserve in Birobidzhan when he was charged with high treason in January 2025, though the specific allegations against him remain undisclosed. Kachin had expressed support for Ukraine, protesters in Belarus, and the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny on social media.
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