Russia says will move AIDS prisoner to hospital

07/02/2008 - 9:22

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's prison service bowed to international pressure on Thursday by announcing it would transfer Vasily Alexanian, an inmate gravely ill with AIDS, to a specialist clinic.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has issuedthree instructions to the Russian authorities to move Alexanianto a hospital. He has said he will die unless he receiveslife-saving treatment.

Valery Zaitsev, deputy spokesman for the federal prisonsservice, told Reuters Alexanian, 36, would be transferred to aclinic "in the near future."

(Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Catherine Evans)