Statement by Two Teacher Activists: 'Elections' Are Not a Playground for Civil and Labor Activists

On July 4, teacher activists Aziz Qasemzadeh and Ismail Abdi emphasized in a statement that 'elections' are not a playground for civil and labor activists. These two, who have previously been imprisoned for criticizing and opposing the policies of the Islamic Republic, noted in their statement: 'The idea of reform through conventional means has become inherently impossible within the current structure, and perhaps the only realistic outcome of such an election is the prevention of worse corruption, which cannot be ethically, normatively, or religiously defended.' They highlighted that 'hopelessness and despair' are the most obvious results of social stagnation, stressing that heavy security and judicial crackdowns on various segments of society—from the underprivileged and impoverished to workers, teachers, youth, women, intellectuals, artists, and writers—have led to a lack of hope for any 'opening.' Qasemzadeh and Abdi added: 'We respect each individual who believes that participating in elections can bring about change, especially our fellow teachers, but we tell all honorable and aware teachers that the social achievements gained from the Constitutional Revolution to today are the result of interactions within society, not gifts from various governments and regimes.' The two teachers, who have faced the wrath of the Islamic Republic, also referred to the 'peak days of the teachers' movement' and the 'link between school and society,' stating: 'That great capacity, that great ability in solidarity must be spent within society, in classrooms, among the people in the streets and markets, not in the electoral headquarters of Mr. Pezeshkian or Jalili.' Aziz Qasemzadeh, with 25 years of teaching experience, was sentenced to one year in prison for 'propaganda against the regime' and was permanently banned from government jobs. On June 19, 2024, he announced his prostate cancer diagnosis. Ismail Abdi is a formal teacher in Islamshahr with 21 years of teaching experience, who was imprisoned from November 2016 to November 2023 in Kachouyi Prison in Karaj and was released on bail thereafter. It is noteworthy that on Wednesday, several plaintiffs published similar texts on social media platforms X and Instagram, emphasizing the boycott of the 'government elections' using the hashtag 'traitorous minority,' urging the Iranian public not to participate in the Islamic Republic's voting to determine a successor to Raisi. Family members of plaintiffs whose loved ones were killed during various waves of nationwide protests in recent years or executed by the Islamic Republic also published similar statements on social media on Wednesday, July 4, and severely criticized some positions regarding the 'government elections' using a common hashtag. Additionally, see: Strong criticism from plaintiffs against 'voters': We will not allow the hollow voice of the 'traitorous minority' to be louder than the majority of the Iranian people. Mohsen Hashemi: Since 2019, the percentage of public participation in elections has decreased. Khamenei contradicted himself to justify the boycott of government elections: they are not anti-regime! Strong criticism from plaintiffs against 'voters': We will not allow the hollow voice of the 'traitorous minority' to be louder than the majority of the Iranian people. Prince Reza Pahlavi: The people did not submit to the 'election circus'; the destruction of the 'regime' is inevitable. Khamenei's admission of minimal participation in 'government elections': If you love the Islamic Republic, vote.