Disruption in Internet and Empty Polling Stations in the Second Round of Government Voting for Successor to Raisi

As widespread public participation was lacking in the second round of government voting to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi on Friday, July 15, reports indicate severe internet disruptions or outages in several cities including Tehran, Ahvaz, and Rasht. According to the Telegram channel "Civil Protest Market," internet access has been cut off in some cities like Ahvaz and Rasht, or its speed has significantly decreased in cities such as Tehran. Some social media users attribute this action to preventing the dissemination of news and images related to empty polling stations. According to statistics announced by the Islamic Republic, participation in this voting was about 40%, and the majority of Iranian voters boycotted the first round. However, there are serious doubts about the accuracy of these figures. Many accuse the government of manipulating the results and inflating the votes, claiming that the actual participation rate was much lower than reported. Based on these official statistics, the first round of voting for government candidates to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, held on Friday, July 8, saw the provinces of Kurdistan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Gilan, and Khuzestan record the lowest public participation rates. On the other hand, political prisoners, journalists, civil and political activists, and families of victims continued to abstain from voting. According to civil and human rights activists, political prisoners in Evin and Qezel Hessar prisons refused to vote. Mehdi Mahmoudian, a human rights activist and former prisoner, reported that after ballot boxes were taken to Evin prison, more than a hundred political prisoners "refused to participate in this unfree and unjust ritual and stood firm on their freedom-seeking ideals." The channel of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Unions also confirmed this news. Aliyeh Matlabezhadeh, a journalist and civil activist, wrote: "Political prisoners in Qezel Hessar did not participate in today's voting and refused to vote." Zeynab Rahimi, a critical journalist, emphasized her determination to abstain from voting despite government agents' calls. While images from dozens of cities in Iran indicate widespread public non-participation in the voting, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior's election headquarters, Mohsen Islami, announced a two-hour extension of voting time until 8 PM. According to government agencies, the participation rate in the first round of voting to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi was reported to be about 40%. These figures have always faced serious skepticism from independent sources and indicate the lowest participation rate in the history of the Islamic Republic. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, acknowledged on July 13, after four days of silence, that public participation in the first round of voting among the candidates considered by the Islamic Republic for Raisi's succession was "below expectations." While the majority of Iranian citizens have boycotted the government voting, likening it to a "circus" and a "show," Ali Khamenei claimed on Wednesday, July 13, that "the notion that those who did not vote in the first round are opponents of the regime is a completely mistaken interpretation." This is while he had previously emphasized the importance of high participation in voting, stating that "high participation" would lead to the "glory of the Islamic Republic." Breaking his silence a few days after the first round of government voting, Ali Khamenei urged those who "love Islam and the Islamic Republic" and the "progress of the country" to demonstrate this by voting for the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic for Ebrahim Raisi's succession. Jafar Panahi: The Islamic Republic is experiencing "fear of illegitimacy" due to the lack of majority participation. Amir Salar Davoodi, a prisoner’s lawyer: I did not and will not participate in these "appointments." Continued criticism of the death sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi: The goal is to suppress civil, political, and labor activists. The father of Mahsa Amini: My family and I are not "promoters of any specific candidate"; we have no hope for achieving justice in the future.