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Alert

Akbar Ganji ends hunger strike

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has welcomed the confirmation from imprisoned journalist Akbar Ganji's wife, Massoumeh Shafiie, that Ganji has indeed begun eating again after observing a hunger strike for more than two months.

"We are pleased that Ganji has ended his hunger strike and that he is therefore no longer in danger of dying," the organisation said. "Nonetheless, the fight to obtain his release continues and we strongly hope that his perseverance will not result in his being kept in prison until he completes his sentence."

His wife, who had not been allowed to see him since 1 August 2005, was finally given permission to visit on 21 August and was able to verify his state of health. "I saw him last night. He has ended his hunger strike. He is doing quite well. He is talking," she told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on 22 August.

Iranian officials had announced that Ganji ended his hunger strike on 17 August, but this had not been confirmed until now by his family or lawyers, who have all been banned from seeing him.