Over 150 Members of the European Parliament Describe Iran's Presidential Election as 'Fraudulent'

More than 150 members of the European Parliament issued a statement on Thursday, May 17, ahead of Iran's presidential election, labeling the election as 'unfree,' 'unfair,' and 'fraudulent.' The statement highlights the political atmosphere in Iran and the path the presidential elections have taken so far, stating: 'Elections in Iran are not free and fair. Opposition activities are banned. All candidates must express their heartfelt belief in the concept of the Guardianship of the Jurist. The Guardian Council, which is a non-elected body whose members are appointed by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has disqualified the majority of candidates.' The European Parliament consists of 751 representatives from 28 member countries of the European Union, and this statement has been signed by 156 of them. In this presidential election cycle, hundreds registered to run, including several well-known political activists critical of the Iranian government, such as Azam Taleghani and Ghasem Sholehsadi. Notably, figures from within the government, including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his deputy Hamid Baqai, as well as reformists and conservatives like Mohsen Rahami and Alireza Zakani, also registered, but the Guardian Council disqualified all of them, leaving only six candidates. After several weeks of an intense election campaign, including three controversial debates among the candidates, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Eshaq Jahangiri withdrew in favor of Ebrahim Raisi and Hassan Rouhani, leaving the final competition between Raisi and Rouhani among the four remaining candidates. Furthermore, in addition to the role of appointed bodies like the Guardian Council in the presidential election process in Iran, the political structure of the country, where the Supreme Leader holds extensive powers above the head of state, supports the critics' view that choosing among the available candidates will not significantly change the direction of the Iranian government. The statement from the members of the European Parliament also expresses concern over the 'high number of executions' and criticizes the performance of Hassan Rouhani's government in this regard, stating: 'During Hassan Rouhani's first term, who is said to be a moderate figure, more than 3,000 people were executed. Rouhani has referred to execution as a good decree and the law of God in a public television speech.' Iran ranks second after China in the list of countries with the highest number of executions. Amnesty International reported that at least 567 people were executed in Iran in 2016 alone. Iranian officials claim that the majority of these executions are related to drug offenses, but Amnesty International emphasizes that, according to international standards, most of these crimes are not considered serious enough to warrant the death penalty. The European Parliament members also addressed the mass executions of political prisoners in Iran in 1988, mentioning Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the Minister of Justice in Rouhani's government, and Ebrahim Raisi, a candidate in the May 29 elections, who were members of the four-person committee known as the 'Death Commission' that ordered the execution of these prisoners. The statement then discusses the efforts of opponents of the Islamic Republic to boycott the presidential election. In recent weeks, several figures and political groups have called for non-participation in this election, including Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, six Kurdish parties from Iran, and the Coalition for Democracy in Iran. In contrast, reformist groups and leaders of the Green Movement in Iran have called for support for Hassan Rouhani in this election. At the end of their statement, the members of Parliament emphasized that if the European Union seeks to expand its relations with Iran, it should condition this on improving human rights conditions in Iran. Less than a week ago, 29 members of the European Parliament had written to Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, emphasizing the necessity of holding 'free and fair' presidential elections in Iran and the release of political prisoners before the elections.