Human rights activists in St. Petersburg are appealing for the urgent release of the former vice-president of Yukos, Vasily Aleksanyan, and for his immediate hospitalisation at a civil clinic. They are also urging former Yukos director, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, to cease the hunger strike.

’While we fully respect M. Khodorkovsky’s action, we nevertheless ask him to cease the hunger strike until the authorities’ position in relation to the violation of human and civil rights regarding V. Aleksanyan is made clear’ the Petersburg human rights council’s address circulated in the media states .

At the same time, the human rights defenders also demand that the prosecutor examines V. Aleksanyan and M. Khodorkovsky’s statements relating to the investigation. M. Khodorkovsky thinks that V. Aleksanyan is being forced to testify against him. ‘I know from the numerous reports in the media that the seriously ill Aleksanyan is being denied treatment and thereby is condemned to certain death’ M. Khodorkovsky noted in a statement.

As emphasised by the human rights activists’ address, Russia must comply with instructions received from the European Court of Human Rights, issued for a third time, and urgently have V. Aleksanyan admitted to a specialist civil hospital (two previous instructions sent to the Russian authorities 27.11.2007 and 06.12.2007 were completely ignored)

’We demand an immediate implementation of the European court’s instructions to have V. Aleksanyan released and admitted to a specialist civil clinic’, the address states.

(Interfax, 04.02.2008)