Amir Salar Davoodi, Imprisoned Lawyer: I Did Not Participate in These 'Elections' and Will Not

Amir Salar Davoodi, a lawyer currently imprisoned in Evin Prison, emphasized in a message that he is boycotting the government's 'elections,' stating, 'I did not participate in this election, read: appointments, and I will not.' In his message, sent to VOA on Thursday, July 14, Davoodi, a political prisoner in Ward 4 of Evin Prison, stressed: 'The Islamic Republic has shown until today that it follows a path of nothing but lies and deception.' The lawyer added: 'In this critical moment, where there is a debate among so-called intellectuals and advocates of fundamental changes about whether to vote or not, I will take the path for which I was sentenced and imprisoned from the beginning, which is nothing but the change of the entire system and governance relying on the power of the people.' The second round of voting between the two candidates favored by the Islamic Republic for succeeding Ebrahim Raisi will be held on Friday, July 15, and a number of political prisoners and civil activists have emphasized that they will boycott it. According to government statistics, a vast majority of Iranians did not participate in the first round of this political event, which opponents describe as a 'circus election' and 'mock appointments.' Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, while admitting to minimal participation in the government's 'elections,' urged Iranians to vote if they love the Islamic Republic. In an exclusive interview with VOA, Prince Reza Pahlavi emphasized that the people of Iran have sent a message to both the Islamic Republic and the world that they will no longer participate in the circus of elections. He stressed that the destruction of this regime will definitely happen. Ibrahim Ishaqi, a wrestler, stated: 'They have not spared their athletes and champions either.' Widespread arrests and summons of opponents during the election period; Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam says the government is thinking about the day after the elections. The plaintiffs sharply criticized the 'voters': 'We will not allow the hollow voice of the 'traitorous minority' to be louder than the majority of the people of Iran.' Abolfazl Ghadiani, a political activist, emphasized the 'boycott' of the government elections and the 'change of the religious dictatorship.' The father of Mahsa Amini stated: 'My family and I are not advocates for any specific candidate; we have no hope for achieving justice in the future.' The Haft Tappeh workers declared: 'We will not vote for those responsible for disrespect and repression over the decades.'