MOSCOW (Reuters) – A former U.S. Marine serving a nine-year jail sentence in Russia stated he had ended a starvation strike after almost per week, having suffered well being problems, in response to a message shared by his household.

Trevor Reed, a college scholar from Texas, was convicted final yr of endangering the lives of two policemen in Moscow whereas drunk on a go to in 2019. He denies the costs and the US referred to as his trial a “theatre of the absurd”.

His household stated final week he had begun a starvation strike to protest towards his incarceration and alleged violations of his rights. The jail service denied he was refusing meals or that his rights have been being abused.

In Nov. 15 feedback shared by his household late on Tuesday, Reed stated he ended the strike on the morning of Nov. 9, having refused meals and drunk solely water because the night of Nov. 3.

“They (jail employees) have been ALL conscious of my starvation strike. They requested me on video day-after-day if I needed meals and I refused. They didn’t weigh me or give me a medical inspection,” he stated.

The jail service didn’t instantly reply to a request to remark.

Reed stated he had a cough, headache, congestion, mucus in his lungs and again ache, and that a physician had given him nutritional vitamins.

He stated he was attributable to be moved from his cell to a punishment cell on Monday, however didn’t say why.

A household spokesman stated: “Trevor’s new complaints about his well being are alarming and it is fairly clear Russian authorities aren’t taking them severely. The Reeds proceed to induce the (U.S.) Administration to make a deal to carry their son house.”

Reed and Paul Whelan, an American who was jailed in Russia on spying prices he denied, have been touted as doable candidates for a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington.