Jailed Iranian Lawyer Ends Hunger Strike

Nasrin Sotoudeh

Prominent Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has ended her hunger strike after 49 days, her husband Reza Khandan wrote on his Facebook page.

Sotoudeh had stopped eating on October 17 to protest pressure on her family, including a travel ban on her 12-year-old daughter.

Khandan wrote on December 4 that Sotoudeh broke her hunger strike after the authorities removed the ban on her daughter.

Sotoudeh, the winner of the European Parliament's 2012 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, is serving a six-year sentence on charges of acting against national security and spreading propaganda.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay earlier urged Iran to free Sotoudeh, whose health had reportedly been deteriorating as a result of her hunger strike.

Last week, the United States also called on Iran to immediately release the 49-year-old Sotoudeh.