Victims' Families Criticize 'Voters': We Will Not Allow the Hollow Voice of the 'Traitor Minority' to Be Louder Than the Majority of the People of Iran

A number of victims' families, by publishing similar texts on social media platforms X and Instagram, emphasized the boycott of the government 'elections' using the hashtag 'traitor minority,' urging all Iranians not to participate in the Islamic Republic's voting to determine a successor to Raisi. Family members of victims who were killed during various crackdowns on protests in recent years or executed by the Islamic Republic published similar statements on social media on Wednesday, July 4, criticizing certain positions regarding the government 'elections' using a common hashtag. Fatemeh Heydari, sister of victim Javad Heydari, who was killed during the crackdown on protests in Qazvin in 2022, wrote on X: 'Although we lack media and budget, we will not allow the hollow voice of this traitor minority to be louder than us, the majority of the people of Iran.' Yazdan Khazaei, brother of Erfan Khazaei, a protester killed during the 2022 protests in Shahriar, also published the same text on Instagram. Shabnam Eskandari, sister of victim Mohammad Reza Eskandari from the 2022 protests, recounted her brother's last moments, addressing supporters of participating in the Islamic Republic's voting for Raisi's successor: 'He was shot with a military bullet in the corner of the street; under the rain of bullets, no one could take him to the clinic'; 'What are you talking about, oh traitor minority?' Saeed Afkari, brother of wrestler Navid Afkari, who was executed in connection with the 2019 protests, published several texts on X regarding this matter; in one of these writings, he emphasized: 'The words have been spoken. The blood has been shed. The thefts and crimes are clear to all. This minority is traitorous, not deceived.' Mr. Afkari also stated: 'Those who vote are as guilty of my innocent brother's blood as Khamenei is. The blood of Navid, Amin, Shahin, Kian, Javad, and the blood that has been shed in these years will bring your dynasty to ruin.' Farhad Mahmoudi, brother of victim Fereydoun Mahmoudi, who was killed during the 2022 protests by government agents, likened 'voters for the Islamic Republic' to those who 'took the half-dead body' of his brother 'from the protesters and blocked the ambulance, preventing it from taking him to the hospital.' Tahereh Bajravani, wife of victim Ali Fotuhi from the November 2019 protests, mentioned Nika Shakeri, Sarina Ismailzadeh, and Asra Panahi, three of the deceased from the 2022 protests, writing: 'They kill, beat, imprison, and rape the daughters of Iran, and then you, the traitor minority, go stand in line to vote?' Saeed Seyedi, brother of victim Ali Seyedi, also said: 'You traitor minority are the same people who put a gun to my brother's side. He was shouting for help; no one went to him. These are the same people who are going to vote on Friday.' Mohammad Hashemi, cousin of victim Majid Kazemi, who was executed in connection with the so-called 'Isfahan House' case, also emphasized: 'We will not allow the hollow voice of this traitor minority to be louder than us, the majority of the people of Iran.' Mehdi Shahbazi, brother of victim Ameneh Shahbazi from the November 2019 protests, is another victim's family member who published the same text on X. While the victims' families severely criticize the minority participating in the government 'elections,' calling them 'traitors,' reports indicate that in a speech among supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian, one of the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic to succeed Ebrahim Raisi, the name of Mehrshad Shahidi, a protester killed in Arak, was misused. Mehrshad Shahidi, sister of victim Mehrshad, reacted to this action by saying: 'I saw nothing but audacity.' The second round of voting between two candidates favored by the Islamic Republic to succeed Ebrahim Raisi will be held on Saturday, July 15. According to government statistics, a significant majority of Iranians did not participate in the first round of this political event, which opponents describe as 'election circus' and 'mock appointments.' Meanwhile, some social media users are trying to encourage citizens to participate in the government voting. Some have accused these accounts of receiving money and other benefits. Maryam Shakirani, a journalist residing in Iran, stated on social media X that 'it has been heard that some journalists active in election headquarters have received amounts exceeding half a billion tomans. Of course, these payments are aside from the positions and privileges they will later obtain.' Opponents argue that there is 'no difference' between the candidates favored by the Islamic Republic from both reformist and principlist factions, and some consider participating in government elections as 'a vote for more killings and repression.'