Commander of Police: Military and Law Enforcement Forces Will Not Intervene in Elections

Hossein Ashtari, the commander of Iran's Law Enforcement Force, emphasized that according to 'instructions', military and law enforcement forces are not to intervene in the elections for the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts scheduled for March. According to the IRNA news agency, Hossein Ashtari made this statement on Sunday, February 14, during the 'Conference of Deputy Commanders of Provincial Law Enforcement'. He stated: 'Based on the instructions of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the measures of the Supreme Leader, military and law enforcement forces do not intervene in the elections; thus, everyone is justified, and no reports have been sent so far.' He added that 'officers are justified to perform their duties' and noted: 'There is no advertising space within the Law Enforcement Force, and as long as officers are in uniform and considered members of the Law Enforcement, they have no right to intervene under any circumstances.' The commander of the Law Enforcement Force also announced that this force is responsible for 'ensuring the security' of the elections in cooperation with military and security agencies, with 250,000 officers maintaining 'election security'. On February 11, the commander had also stated that no election candidates are allowed to hold street gatherings and rallies during the election campaign, threatening that if supporters of candidates hold any gatherings for election campaigning, they will be dealt with. This comes as the campaign period for candidates in the Assembly of Experts elections began on February 11, and reports indicated that extensive campaigning in favor of candidates from the conservative coalition close to Ayatollah Khamenei was conducted during organized rallies for this day. Furthermore, on the same day, according to the election headquarters of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council and a qualified candidate for the upcoming Assembly of Experts elections, his campaign banners were removed along the rally routes. Following Mr. Rafsanjani's complaint to the Ministry of Interior, Hossein Ali Amiri, the deputy of this ministry, responded to reporters' questions about 'some controversies surrounding the Assembly of Experts election campaign on February 11', stating, 'From the Ministry of Interior's perspective, all those who were approved for the March 7 elections have equal rights, and the Ministry of Interior supports their rights.' He added that this ministry will prevent 'any interference with legal gatherings during the election campaign for the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts'. During the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election in Iran, special forces of the Law Enforcement, along with the Revolutionary Guards and Basij forces, suppressed protesters in the streets, detaining and imprisoning them, and in some cases, such as in the Kahrizak detention center, torturing them.