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Former Glazov city council deputy Andrei Yedigaryev has been on hunger strike since 21 January, according to his support group.

This is his way of protesting against the fact that for more than four months he has not been transferred out of the Lefortovo pretrial detention centre. The politician has been held in this detention facility in Moscow since 11 October 2025—he was brought there to give testimony as a witness in another case. The interrogation took place in October.

His support group notes that the Penal Enforcement Code permits keeping a convicted person in a pretrial detention centre after transfer from a penal colony to participate in investigative actions for another case for no more than three months.

According to the group, since starting the hunger strike, the 64-year-old politician has lost nearly 10 kg and now weighs 72 kg.

2 March Yedigaryev stopped his hunger strike on 24 February, his support group reported.

They clarified that he made this decision due to kidney problems revealed by his test results.

“Unfortunately, he still hasn’t been given any information about why he remains in the detention centre,” the channel says. According to his support group, Yedigaryev has already been held in solitary confinement for five months.

The support group also reported that on 12 March at 9:30 am, Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court will consider replacing Yedigaryev’s remaining sentence with a less severe form of punishment.

You can support Andrei Yedigaryevby sending him a letter via our “Vestočka” service.

  • In 2024, Yedigaryev was sentenced to three years in a penal colony on charges of inciting terrorism (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code). The case was opened because of his posts and comments criticising Putin and the invasion of Ukraine: “Looking at burning vehicles and burning lads brings tears to one’s eyes. Adolf Putin, you are a corpse,” “Well, Putin’s scum, are you ready to go die? Ukrainian bullets are waiting for you,” “We live in a fascist state. In Hitler’s Mein Kampf, there are clear parallels with the Putin regime that has been in place for over 25 years.” In one of his comments, Yedigaryev called for the government to be overthrown.
  • The politician has been in custody since May 2023. He reported that during his arrest, he was beaten in the face, stomach and groin, and was also thrown face-first into the mud.