Events Related to the Iranian Elections Until Voting Day

The twelfth presidential election in Iran will take place on Friday, May 29, coinciding with the elections for city and village councils. Follow the live coverage of news related to this event with Radio Farda. On Thursday, 156 members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement calling the presidential elections in Iran 'unfree and unfair.' These European representatives criticized the process, pointing to the candidates' commitment to the Supreme Leader and their approval by the Guardian Council. They noted the high number of executions in Iran, stating that over three thousand people have been executed during Hassan Rouhani's administration, and labeled Ebrahim Raisi as a member of the 'Death Committee' responsible for the 1988 executions. They also mentioned that Hassan Rouhani has supported executions, describing them as 'divine law,' and has backed Bashar al-Assad's regime even after the chemical attack in Idlib. The representatives identified Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Rouhani's Minister of Justice, as a member of the Death Committee, which they claim executed over 30,000 political prisoners. They stated that any expansion of relations with the Iranian government is contingent upon improvements in human rights, women's rights, and a halt to executions. The organization Reporters Without Borders also called on Iranian presidential candidates to commit to improving the state of press freedom in the country. The organization noted that despite some changes, Rouhani's promises for reform in favor of freedom of expression and the press during his four-year presidency have not been fulfilled. They urged candidates to commit to the release of imprisoned journalists, free access to cyberspace, and punishment for those responsible for the murders of journalists and intellectuals. According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran ranks 165th in press freedom among 180 countries.