Mehdi Mahmoudian, an imprisoned journalist and member of the Participation Front political party, was transferred from Rajaee Shahr Prison to a hospital in May 2011 and will undergo surgery Thursday morning. In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, a source close to the prisoner who asked for anonymity for security reasons said, "Mehdi suffers from serious blood pressure fluctuations and keeps having seizures. Only since yesterday have the doctors been able to stabilize his blood pressure. He will undergo surgery on Thursday. Finally, a whole year after his illness and his requests for treatment, the Tehran Prosecutor gave him permission to leave prison."

The children of incarcerated journalist Keyvan Samimi have expressed their concern for their father s health in Rajai Shahr prison, while the prison officials have ignored the issue.

A group of Iranian journalists and political activists have issued a statement from Evin and Rajai-Shahr prisons to commemorate Reporter s Day observed in Iran on August 8th. The signatories have condemned the oppression and censorship of journalists and press and have demanded freedom of speech, the release of all imprisoned journalists and the establishment of proper environment for an independent press to function in a free society.

Atieh Taheri, wife of Azerbaijani journalist and civil activist Saeed Matinpour, spoke with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran in an interview about her husband s health condition and situation in Evin Prison. Matinpour, 36, studied philosophy at Tehran University and wrote for Zanjan Weekly. He was active in human rights and ethnic minority rights causes and was arrested on 25 May 2007 for participating in a seminar in defense of Turkish-speaking citizens in Turkey. He was sentenced to eight years in prison by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, presided by Judge Salavati, on charges of "contact with foreigners, and propagating against the regime." Describing Matinpour's situation, Taheri said:

A Canadian human rights activist is concerned over Iran's "deeply flawed" legal process after a renowned Canadian-Iranian journalist lost his appeal Wednesday against a 19-year prison term in that country.