Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's jailed former head of the Yukos oil giant, who is facing new charges of oil and oil revenue embezzlement, went on a hunger strike, a radio station reported.
The Russkaya Sluzhba Novostei radio station reported that Khodorkovsky officially informed Russia's Supreme Court Chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev of his decision to go on a huger strike as the former tycoon was ruled to stay in pre-detention on new charges until August 17.
Once Russia's richest man, Khodorkovsky is already serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion. He is now accused of stealing $9.6 billion from the $15.8 billion profit generated by Yukos between 1999 and 2003, and 350 million tons of oil.
Moscow's Khamovniki District Court last Friday authorized keeping Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev in pretrial detention until August 17.
Law enforcement bodies, as well as Khodorkovsky's lawyers and his official Website did not provide any comments on the subject as of yet.
Khodorkovsky told the court earlier that he could not understand what he was accused of because his specific actions were not described in the criminal case.
MOSCOW, May 18 (RIA Novosti)
