Political prisoner Jafar Azimzadeh’s health is deteriorating. The workers’ rights activist has been on an indefinite hunger strike in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison for nearly three weeks now and the regime is putting pressure on him to end it.

On Tuesday 17^th May, the Tehran prosecutor’s office “demanded that he end his hunger strike” according to a report by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He had to be transported by car to the visitor’s hall to see his wife on Tuesday due to being too frail.

The National Council of Resistance (NCRI) have written an article about the moving open letter that Iranian political prisoner Afshin Baymani wrote and smuggled out of prison. Mr. Baymani has been suffering in Iran’s notorious Gohardasht (Rajai-Shahr) Prison in Karaj for many years.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) have reported that 21 people have been hanged in Iran since Monday, one of which was in public. 

In the Central Prison of Urmia (Orumieh), north-west Iran, on Tuesday 17th May, six men were hanged collectively. These men were serving a prison sentence for drugs-related charges in Ward 15 of the prison.

The Iranian government has launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests within the country. 

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, told senior security officials that the serious “threat”, caused by teachers, trade unionists, street vendors and truck drivers, represented a “high priority” need for further repressive measures.

An Iranian prisoner of conscience is critically ill following kidney surgery.

Omid Kokabee, an experimental laser physicist at the University of Texas, had his right kidney removed on 22 April; he was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer after years of medical neglect.