Several Political Prisoners Call for Citizens to Boycott Presidential Elections

A number of political prisoners held in various prisons across Iran have separately called for citizens not to participate in the upcoming 14th presidential elections. Jawad Laleh Mohammadi, one of the signatories of a letter requesting the resignation of Ali Khamenei, who is imprisoned in Vakilabad prison in Mashhad, stated in a verbal message from prison on Tuesday, July 5, that participating in the elections is 'treason' in light of the 'unjustly shed blood of the dear youth of Iran, their blinded eyes, and the torture and wasted lives of political prisoners.' Another political prisoner, Mohammad Nourizad, referred to the presidential elections as a 'shameful trick' and declared that 'anyone who participates in the elections has betrayed Iran and Iranians.' He described the elections as 'completely managed and engineered,' asserting that the officials of the Islamic Republic want to push people towards the ballot boxes. Nourizad noted the 'concern' of the Supreme Leader regarding low public participation, stating that not voting is 'a victory for the Iranian people.' Narges Mohammadi also stated that she would not participate in the 'illegal elections of the oppressive and illegitimate government.' On the same day, Ali Khamenei reiterated his call for high participation in the elections, citing 'the pride of the Islamic Republic' and 'silencing the enemies' as the main reasons. Ahmadreza Haeri, a human rights activist and political prisoner, wrote in a letter that the majority's non-participation in the first and second rounds of the 12th parliamentary elections was an effort to 'reclaim the right to self-determination.' He urged supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian, who he claims is using 'deceptive slogans for Iran' to encourage public participation in the upcoming elections, to not expect citizens to 'legitimize the usurpers of freedom and the right to determine the fate of this nation by participating in the election of a new Islamic Republic president.' Previously, Mahbubeh Rezaei, another political prisoner, stated in a letter that 'the sham elections and appointed positions' are not a suitable solution for the country's problems. This prisoner, held in Evin prison, emphasized that 'there is no way other than to pass through the Islamic Republic and create change at all levels and structures of power.' Last week, Golrokh Iraei, another political prisoner in Evin, accused reformists of 'deceiving the people and attempting to involve them in elections to stabilize the power of the Islamic Republic.' Referring to the increase in 'political awareness' in society in recent years, she told this political faction that 'you have come to the field not to win the elections, but to defeat the people.' Previously, figures such as Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Sedigheh Vosoughi, an Islamic scholar, political activists like Hossein Razaghi and Mehdi Mahmoudian, and filmmaker and women's rights activist Mojgan Ilanlou, a former prisoner, announced that they would not participate in the presidential elections on July 8. Additionally, 520 Iranian educators issued a statement declaring that they would not participate in the upcoming presidential elections 'to defend the republic and based on citizens' rights.' The early presidential elections, prompted by the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, are scheduled to take place on Friday, July 8, in Iran.