Hollywood Icons Rally for Jailed Activist on Life-Threatening Hunger Strike

Actors Martin and Janet Sheen, John Cusack, and Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek have signed an open letter advocating for Russian prison officials to put an end to the solitary confinement of imprisoned activist Mikhail Kriger, who has been on a dry hunger strike for over a week.

They are joined by Shirley Manson, the lead singer of Garbage, who recently urged the local prison authorities to stop Kriger’s isolation.

At 65 years old, Kriger initiated a hunger strike in late September and began a dry hunger strike—abstaining from both food and water—last Friday after a scheduled visit with his daughter was canceled.

Kriger has alleged that prison officials are intentionally isolating him to restrict his communication with other inmates.

The latest individuals to add their names to the letter addressed to the head of Correctional Colony No. 5 in Russia’s Oryol region expressed that Kriger’s health has “become critical,” as stated in a letter published by the exiled news outlet Mediazona.

“His speech has become slow, he has an unfocused gaze, and he is extremely weak. A dry hunger strike can lead to organ failure and rapidly result in shock and death,” the Sheens, Cusack, and Žižek articulated.

In 2023, Kriger was sentenced to seven years in prison for “justifying terrorism” and “inciting hatred” due to his anti-Kremlin posts on social media. During the trial, he claimed that he was being targeted for his anti-war beliefs and his open support of Ukraine.

The human rights organization Memorial, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has classified Kriger as a political prisoner.

Earlier this week, the anti-Kremlin activist group Pussy Riot raised concerns regarding Kriger’s hunger strike, calling on their supporters to write letters to both him and the prison administration.

It remains uncertain whether the authorities at the Oryol region prison colony will respond to the international calls for action.

Additionally, it is unclear when Kriger might be released from solitary confinement and whether his health is being adequately monitored.

According to his support group, Kriger was transferred to a regional hospital on Wednesday for examinations, although the results have yet to be disclosed.

His lawyer mentioned that he was “in good spirits, composing poems, and even suggested hopping on one leg to demonstrate his resilience,” as reported by the support group in a Thursday update.

“Forced feeding will only commence if he loses consciousness or if doctors determine that his condition is critical,” the support group shared on Telegram.