Boycott of the 'Election Circus'; Social Media Users: We Stay Home and Won't Vote for Bullets

As the time for voting among the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic to succeed Ebrahim Raisi approaches, the hashtag 'We Stay Home' has become widespread on social media, with many citizens stating they will not participate in what they call the 'election circus.' Prince Reza Pahlavi reiterated on Thursday, July 7, that 'every vote cast in this evil regime's ballot box only prolongs its life.' Simultaneously, the hashtag 'We Stay Home,' which gained traction on social media on Thursday, has also received support from some families of victims. For instance, Fatemeh Heydari, sister of the victim Javad Heydari from the nationwide protests in 1401 in Qazvin, shared an image of Mohsen Mohammadpour, a teenager killed during the November 98 protests, emphasizing, 'Tomorrow we stay home.' Some civil activists and journalists, along with a significant number of users with pseudonyms on the social media platform 'X,' have joined this hashtag. Samira Rahi, a journalist, shared an image of Sarina Ismailzadeh, a teenager killed during the 1401 protests, stating, 'Tomorrow we stay home.' Social media users, also referencing various human rights violations by the Islamic Republic's officials, including executions, declare: 'Tomorrow we stay home and won't vote for bullets.' Additionally, Mostafa Mehrayin, a researcher and university professor, who recently gained attention for part of his debate with journalist Abbas Abdi on social media, issued a statement urging the Iranian people not to participate in the government elections. He wrote in a post on his Instagram account addressing the Iranian people: 'You do not need any intermediaries, including so-called reformist forces, between you and the hard core of power, and you must pursue your conflict with power and achieve your goals and aspirations directly and in various forms of civil movement.' In the lead-up to the voting among the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic to succeed Ebrahim Raisi, a number of political prisoners held in 'Block 6/1' of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad issued a statement on the evening of Wednesday, July 6, calling on the people and political groups opposing the Islamic Republic for 'national solidarity' and demanding the establishment of a 'cohesive organization' for 'the success of the vital future uprising.' The statement, signed by several political prisoners in Vakilabad Prison, including Abbas Vahidiyan Shahroudi and Javad Lal-Mohammadi, noted: 'The world and global institutions will value the Iranian opposition when they see that despite all ideological differences, we have the capacity for unity and are united on important commonalities such as the destruction of the authoritarian regime and the establishment of a democratic government that guarantees peace and stability in the region and the world.' So far, Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi and Alireza Zakani have withdrawn from the race to succeed Raisi, and unless another candidate withdraws in the remaining time, voting will take place among the four remaining candidates of the Islamic Republic: Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi. Meanwhile, citizens are expressing their opposition to the Islamic Republic's presidential elections in various ways, including burning candidates' campaign banners. The opposition to what is called the 'election show and circus' continues, and observers say there is no difference between the Islamic Republic's officials from the reformist and principlist factions. For instance, Hossein Ronaghi, a civil activist, emphasized in a video message on Wednesday that 'the entirety of the Islamic Republic is just a barrier to the progress of freedom and prosperity in Iran.' On the other hand, conflicts among supporters of the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic to succeed Ebrahim Raisi have also been reported. A video has surfaced showing clashes between supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in Tehran's Enghelab Square. Additionally, the editor of 'Raja News,' a media outlet close to the political current known as the 'Stability Front' and a supporter of Saeed Jalili, referred to Qalibaf's supporters as 'a bunch of votes for the forbidden.' Alireza Soleimani emphasized on the social media platform X that supporters of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf 'appeared as foot soldiers for Pezeshkian's campaign for a handful of forbidden votes and completed dangerous national security scenarios.' Furthermore, an attack by a representative of Saeed Jalili's campaign on opponents of compulsory hijab has caught the attention of social media users. Maryam Ashrafi Goudarzi stated that if a woman allows herself the freedom to enter society without a hijab, she should also allow a man who is provoked by her this freedom to assault her. While citizen reports indicate that there is no news of the 'election circus' at the grassroots level, media activists from the government candidates' campaign offices claim their programs are being held with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, a video report has surfaced showing buses transporting individuals, said to be 'three thousand people,' from the Shirin Asal Company in Shabestar to attend Masoud Pezeshkian's election program in Tabriz. Voting among the four remaining candidates favored by the Islamic Republic to succeed Ebrahim Raisi will take place on Friday, July 8.