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An Iranian man on the 41st day of a hunger strike in an Auckland prison has agreed, on medical advice, to take liquid mineral supplements.
Ali Panah went on a hunger strike in protest at the Government's decision to deport him to Iran. He has applied for refugee status.
Mr Panah says he has converted to Christianity and will be persecuted and possibly killed if he goes back to Iran.
He refused to sign papers applying for an Iranian passport once the deportation decision was made and went on the hunger strike shortly afterwards.
Global Peace and Justice (GPJ), a group which supports Mr Panah, said it was pleased he had taken the mineral supplements.
GPJ spokesman John Minto said the supplements had little food value but would prevent some of the physical damage likely to result from a prolonged period without food.
"We do not want to see anyone lose their life because of an inhumane Government policy," Mr Minto said.
GPJ and Amnesty International continued to argue for the Government to issue Mr Panah a temporary visa until it was safe for him to return to Iran.
"Anything less is unacceptable," Mr Minto said.
Mr Minto said Mr Panah was doing well under the circumstances and continued to refuse food.
New Zealand First deputy leader Peter Brown said Mr Panah was rorting the system by converting to Christianity, claiming his conversion was "an abuse of the system and the Christian faith".
His view was not shared by two of the heads of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Brown Turei and Archbishop David Moxon, who called for Immigration Minister David Cunliffe "to give him life".
The Department of Labour said it was satisfied Panah's humanitarian circumstances had been given a full and fair hearing.
- NZPA
