Exclusive | Statement by Two Political Prisoners on Elections: No to Sham Appointments, No to the Islamic Republic

Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb and Reza Salmandzadeh, two political prisoners imprisoned in Qazal Hesar prison, emphasized in a statement ahead of the elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts that they shout 'No to sham appointments' and 'No to the Islamic Republic' from the 'tyranny court of the guardianship of the jurist.' In this joint statement, a copy of which was exclusively provided to Voice of America on Wednesday, March 9, these two political prisoners stressed that 'everyone knows well, and we are rightly aware that elections are one of the main and fundamental pillars of democracy, namely the rule of the people,' and described the elections in the Islamic Republic as 'meaningless and theatrical.' They added: 'Undoubtedly, in a country where for 45 years executions, war, terrorism, violence, suppression of freedom-seekers, and imprisonment of dissenters by the government and its security and judicial institutions have continued, and where protesting people and youth are shot for demanding their human rights, freedom and elections are meaningless and theatrical words.' According to Reza Salmandzadeh and Zartosht Ahmadi Raghb, 'the security, barracks, and repressive government is always looking for a sham election show and to bring its agents to the streets to falsely show that they have popular support, but in reality, this is not the case.' These two political prisoners emphasized that the Islamic Republic has engaged in 'the greatest anti-Iranian actions' by 'supporting terrorism and warmongering, plundering the wealth and national resources of the country, and throwing our dear Iran into the arms of China and Russia,' and has only sought to maintain the survival of the dictatorial regime. Ahmadi Raghb and Salmandzadeh also noted in this joint statement that 'millions of Iranians have left the country due to unemployment, poverty, misery, and corruption' and 'in hope of a better and freer life.' They reminded that 'the economy is on the brink of collapse, inflation and rising prices have bent the back of the nation.' These two political activists added: 'With this in mind, how can we participate in elections, not in sham appointments of the dictatorship, and stain our fingers with the blood of the daughters and sons, women and men of Iran?' According to these two political prisoners, 'the people of Iran are intelligent and aware, and after all these years of repression and tyranny, they will no longer submit to these false displays.' They also emphasized: 'We too shout from the prison and the tyranny court of the guardianship of the jurist: No to the sham appointments of the government! No to the Islamic Republic!' Previously, Yashar Tabrizi, a political prisoner in Evin prison, had also called on the people to stay home on March 11, coinciding with the elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts, and not to participate in this 'electoral show.' Additionally, dozens of activists inside and outside Iran have stated that they will not participate in this 'staging' and will boycott the elections. The Goman polling institute has predicted that 77 percent of Iranian citizens will not participate in the upcoming elections. Abolfazl Ghadiani, an opponent of the Islamic Republic, has also emphasized that the upcoming elections should be boycotted, stating that not participating is not enough because boycotting is an active matter, and the boycotter asks others not to vote. There has been widespread promotion of the elections in Tehran, warning that if people do not vote, they will lose their security. The widespread boycott has reached Khamenei's ears: some are calling for non-participation in the elections. Posters and banners of candidates have been burned in Amol ahead of the elections - March 9. The sister of Hadis Najafi has called for a boycott of the elections: let's disrupt the Islamic Republic's game. On the line: Calls for participation in the widespread boycott of the Islamic Republic's elections. Mostafa Daneshgar: What will take place on Friday is a show at the farthest distance from free elections. CNN's report on the low participation rate in Iran's elections; the new generation considers the elections 'theatrical.' The US dollar increased by 900 tomans in one day: entering the 59 thousand toman channel. The election boycott by several student organizations: the behavior of the people means 'no' to the Islamic Republic.