Ulvi Hasanli, the director of Abzas Media, has ended his hunger strike after nine days. The news was confirmed by his relatives.

Hasanli had been on hunger strike since June 26, demanding to be allowed to see his wife and two-year-old daughter and to be transferred back to the Baku Pretrial Detention Centre. In response, prison authorities placed him in a solitary confinement cell in the Umbaki penitentiary complex, where he had recently been relocated.

In a phone call with his family today, Hasanli said he was ending the strike out of concern for the health of fellow imprisoned journalists who had joined the protest in solidarity.

Shortly afterwards, Abzas Media’s female journalists - editor-in-Chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, along with reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova - also announced an end to their hunger strike.

Several journalists from Meydan TV currently held in detention, Aynur Elgunesh, Aytaj Tapdig, Khayala Aghayeva, and Aysel Umudova had also declared their participation in the protest. Another journalist, Fatima Movlamli, who was detained in connection with the “Meydan TV case,” joined the hunger strike on July 4.

On June 20, the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced six Abzas Media journalists to prison terms ranging from seven to nine years. Following the verdict, the male journalists were transferred from the Baku Pretrial Detention Centre to the Umbaki prison complex.

Hasanli was reportedly subjected to mistreatment in the new facility and was told he would not be allowed to see his family.

Abzas Media’s female journalists, still held in Baku, had also been on hunger strike for the past three days in support of Hasanli.