[JURIST] Jailed Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji [Wikipedia profile; advocacy website] has ended his eight-week hunger strike in response to concerns of family and friends for his deteriorating health, a spokesman for Iran's judiciary said Tuesday. Ganji has been imprisoned since April 2000 and was sentenced to six years in prison in 2001 for "collecting confidential information harmful to national security and spreading propaganda against the Islamic system" after he wrote stories linking officials to the murder of political dissidents. He initiated the hunger strike to persuade the judiciary to grant him unconditional release, a demand supported by the US, EU and human rights groups. The White House issued a statement [text] in July calling for Ganji's release, saying that his calls for freedom in Iran deserve to be heard. Reuters has more.