On Sunday 7 October, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service called on Russia to provide "swift and appropriate medical treatment" to Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov.
Sentsov ended a hunger strike on 5 October when the Russian authorities threatened to force-feed him after 145 days of hunger strike.
The spokesperson said: "Oleg Sentsov’s health has now deteriorated to a critical state. In refusing to provide him with appropriate medical treatment in an institutionalised medical setting, the authorities of the Russian Federation have violated his human rights as well as their own human rights commitments under international law, namely the European Court of Human Rights interim measure of 25 July this year."
In a press release, the spokesperson said that "the European Union stands in solidarity with Oleg Sentsov", recalling his "incredible courage, determination and selflessness during his 145 days of hunger strike". The spokesperson again called for the film director’s release, adding that "the EU considers the case to be in breach of international law and elementary standards of justice". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)