Russian man held at Wash. detention center dies

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) – A Russian asylum seeker who had been held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma has died.

The Olympian reports the Pierce County Medical Examiner confirmed Sunday that 40-year-old Amar Mergensana died Saturday at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma.

An examination is set for Monday.

Mergensana had been on life support at the hospital after a reported suicide attempt on Nov. 15, the News Tribune reported.

Activists who monitor the privately owned immigration facility say Mergensana had been on a long-term hunger strike. They had called for his release from detention.

The man had been held at the detention center since about January.

After the reported suicide attempt, Tacoma police responded to the detention center. Staff members told officers that Mergensana had accepted liquid food earlier that day.

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Information from: The Olympian, http://www.theolympian.com