Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who has been recently extradited from Greece to France, is finishing his hunger strike, Russian Ambassador in Paris Alexey Meshkov told Sputnik
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2020) Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who has been recently extradited from Greece to France, is finishing his hunger strike, Russian Ambassador in Paris Alexey Meshkov told Sputnik.
Vinnik has been in France since January 23. During a court hearing in late January, a judge ruled to remand him in custody.
"Employees of the embassy's consular department regularly visit Vinnik in the prison ward of the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital. He feels normal and is gradually fishing his repeated 40-day hunger strike and started eating again," Meshkov said.
In line with the judge's permission, Vinnik is now allowed to call his relatives and lawyers. He also has a small tv showing French channels in his room in a hospital, he added.
Vinnik was detained in Greece in July 2017 at the request of the US authorities on various charges, including laundering $4 billion through bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange BTC-E, which was allegedly headed by Vinnik. Apart from the United States, his extradition was sought by Russia and France.
Vinnik asked to be extradited to Russia to stand trial in his home country.
