Taipei - Detained former president Chen Shui-bian was rushed to hospital Saturday due to heart problems and dehydration, two days after he began a hunger strike to protest against what he claimed was an unfair trial.

Chen, 58, has been held on charges of corruption since late December at the Taipei Detention Centre.

"He has dehydration and is weak, but he remains clear in sense," a spokesman of Panchiao Hospital said.

Claiming "illegal detention, illegal prosecution and illegal trial," Chen started fasting Thursday after his request for release was postponed by court earlier that day.

"I have never been involved in any corruption. Nor have I committed any crimes," he said in a statement issued through his office.

He also said he would terminate the contract with his defence team and asked court to sentence him to life to protest against what he insisted was illegal prosecution and trial.

Chen insisted that his suffering was a result of political persecution by President Ma Ying-jeou, who joined Beijing in suppressing him because of his promotion of Taiwan independence.

Chen faces charges of embezzling 2.97 million US dollars in state funds and accepting 14 million US dollars in bribes as well as money laundering, influence peddling, extortion and document forgery during his time in office, which ended in May 2008.

On Tuesday, prosecutors brought fresh graft charges against him for illegally demanding "political contributions."

Chen said he would go on hunger strike until after May 17 to support to an upcoming protest against Ma by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party.

He has staged two previous hunger strikes.