Ukraine's ex-official Ivaschenko stops hunger strike, says lawyer

Former Acting Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Ivaschenko has stopped a hunger strike as it jeopardized his health and life, Ivaschenko's lawyer Borys Nechyporenko told Interfax-Ukraine.

"According to doctors of the detention facility's medical unit who have been keeping my client under observation since he officially announced a hunger strike on June 25, acetone was found in his body in a quantity exceeding the safe level. According to doctors, this is the evidence of adverse changes in his body. Given that Ivaschenko started a hunger strike began during the deterioration of his health, these circumstances present a real threat to his health and life. Based on this and listening to the advice of doctors, relatives and lawyers, Ivaschenko took a sensible decision to stop the hunger strike," the lawyer said.

At the same time, Ivaschenko argues that the circumstances, which forced him to go on a hunger strike, have not changed, and he hasn't renounced the protest against the partiality, prejudice and bias of the Pechersky Court of Kyiv, the lawyer said.

As reported, Ivaschenko announced an indefinite hunger strike on June 16 in protest against what he said is the bias of a panel of judges of the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv, which is headed by Judge Serhiy Vovk. Ivaschenko went on hunger strike after the judge refused to grant his request to change the measure of restraint against him.

Ivaschenko and his lawyers demanded that the measure of restraint be changed because of the sharp deterioration of the health of the defendant and his need for medical treatment.

On August 20, 2010, the Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case against Ivaschenko under Part 2, Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or office).