Iranian dissident ends 70-day hunger strike after wife released

Iranian political prisoner Arash Sadeghi ended a 70-day hunger strike after his wife was released from custody on Tuesday, his lawyer said.

Sadeghi began a hunger strike at the end of October protesting the detainment of his wife, Golrokh Iraee.

Both were granted parole on Saturday. Sadeghi was taken to hospital while Iraee was taken home by her mother, their lawyer, Amir Raissian, told the ISNA news agency. Both should have been set free on the first day of the year, but there were reportedly problems getting the needed money together to post bail.

Sadeghi had been originally sentenced to 19 years in prison for endangering national security and disseminating propaganda. When his wife was sentenced to six years in prison for writing two short stories critical of Islam, Sadeghi began a hunger strike.

On Twitter family members and friends thanked Iranians in the country and abroad for their support, particularly for the Twitter campaign that ultimately led to their release.

Several reformist parliamentarians voiced their support as part of the massive Twitter campaign in favour of the two political dissidents. They warned Iran's Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani that there could be negative political consequences if one of the dissidents should die, prompting the prosecution to grant the couple parole last week.    (dpa) 

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