Imprisoned US agent Alan Gross has gone on hunger strike, his lawyer said yesterday.

The 64-year-old, who has been imprisoned in Cuba for more than four years, said he began fasting last Thursday to protest against his treatment by the US and Cuban governments.

Mr Gross was arrested in Cuba in 2009 while working to set up internet access for the island’s small Jewish community.

Mr Gross was employed as a subcontractor for the US Agency For International Development (USAid).

Because Cuba considered USAid programmes illegal attempts undermine its government, Mr Gross was tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The Cuban government’s attitude has recently been justified by revelations about the USAid ZunZeo “Cuban Twitter” scandal.

But Mr Gross apparently still refuses to acknowledge any fault.

“I am fasting to object to mistruths, deceptions and inaction by both governments,” he said.

“Once again, I am calling on President Obama to get personally involved in ending this standoff so I can return home to my wife and daughters.”

Mr Gross’s lawyer Scott Gilbert, however, did acknowledge that USAid was to blame.

“Once Alan was arrested, it is shocking that USAid would imperil his safety even further by running a covert operation in Cuba,” said Mr Gilbert.

“USAid has made one absurdly bad decision after another.

“Running this programme was contrary to everything we have been told by high-level representatives of the Obama administration about USAid activities in Cuba.”