French Academic Held In Iran Ends Hunger Strike, Condition 'Not Good'

A lawyer for an Iranian-French academic detained in Iran for eight months says his client has ended a six-week hunger strike.

Fariba Adelkhah "responded to a written request from civil and political activists and ended her hunger strike at midday," the lawyer, Said Dehghan, told the AFP news agency on February 12.

Dehghan said Adelkhah began her hunger strike on December 24.

"Her mental and physical condition is not good, she has been weakened," he said. "Her voice was difficult to hear and she has difficulty walking."

Adelkhah, an expert on Iran and Shi'ite Islam, was arrested in Tehran in June 2019.

She is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison as she awaits trial on charges including spreading "propaganda against the political system" of Iran.

Adelkhah's partner and colleague at Paris's Sciences Po University, Roland Marchal, was also arrested by Iranian authorities in June while visiting her.

Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality, has repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release the two.

Based on reporting by AFP and RFE/RL’s Radio Farda