An Iranian teacher and labor activist has died from injuries he suffered in an attack by unknown assailants in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan.
The Iranian Teachers' Union's Coordination Council said on May 5 that Hossein Mahdipor, a sociology teacher and labor activist in the region, died from injuries he suffered in what it called "an assassination attempt" that occurred three days earlier.
Mahdipor, who was the administrator of a Telegram channel called Teachers' Demands, was attacked by unknown assailants on May 2, coinciding with Teacher's Day in Iran.
In condemning the attack, the council also warned of a rise in violence faced by people in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, which has been the epicenter of protests in Iran for months.
Almost 100 people were killed and hundreds injured by security forces in the province's main city, Zahedan, on September 30 amid unrest triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl by a local police commander.
Mahdipor was a well-known labor activist who advocated for the rights of teachers and workers in Iran and had been detained by security forces previously for his activities.
Judicial and disciplinary authorities in Sistan-Baluchistan have yet to provide any explanation or updates on the attack on Mahdipor.
Unrest -- including several protests by teachers -- has rattled Iran since last summer in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.
Adding to the dissent, Amini's death in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly breathed new life into the demonstrations, which officials across the country have tried to quell with harsh measures.
The activist HRANA news agency says that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent.
Thousands have been arrested in the clampdown, with the judiciary handing down harsh sentences -- including the death penalty -- to protesters.