"Abzas Media"s imprisoned editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, along with journalists Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, have announced an end to their hunger strike on its seventh day (July 28), citing concerns over the health of their parents.

In a joint statement, the journalists said:

“We are ending our hunger strike as of now. The reason is that our parents, worried about the impact the hunger strike might have on our health, have been hospitalized due to stress. Each of our parents suffers from cardiovascular conditions, and during our hunger strike, they have frequently needed medical attention. Taking their condition into account, we are ending the strike. We also call on Ulvi to consider the health of his mother, Mrs. Esvira, who suffers from a heart condition, and to end his hunger strike as well.”

Vagifgizi, Absalamova and Gasimova began an open-ended hunger strike on July 22 in solidarity with "Abzas Media" director Ulvi Hasanli, who has been on hunger strike since July 20, demanding to be transferred back to the Baku Pretrial Detention Centre.

Hasanli, who has now been refusing food for ten days, told his family during a visit on Sunday that he would not end the strike.