U.S. businessman jailed in Iran breaks hunger strike: mother

[February 23, 2016]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An American businessman jailed in Iran since October has broken his hunger strike, his mother wrote on social media on Monday.

Siamak Namazi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, was detained in Iran in October while visiting family. Iranian authorities have not yet announced any charges against him.

Namazi's mother, Effie Namazi, wrote in a Facebook post from Iran on Saturday that she had been unable to meet with her son for some time and had heard through his cellmate's family that he had undertaken a hunger strike. She asked Iranian officials to allow her and Namazi's father to meet with Namazi to convince him to call off his strike.

On Monday, Effie Namazi wrote in another Facebook post that Siamak Namazi called her home and said he had broken his strike. It was unclear how long the strike had lasted.

"We thank God and we also count the seconds to when we can see Siamak and embrace him, and more importantly, for our innocent son to be freed," Effie Namazi wrote.

Namazi's attorney, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, told Reuters last week that he had not yet been given permission by Iran's judiciary to see his client.

Namazi most recently worked for Crescent Petroleum, an oil and gas company in the United Arab Emirates. Previously, he headed a consulting firm in Iran. Born in Iran, he was educated in the United States and was named a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum in 2007.

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Bill Trott)

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