Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says high voter turnout in Friday's presidential election is crucial for the survival of the Islamic Republic, amid what many have long described as a crisis of legitimacy of the ruling establishment.
“We place great importance on high participation because the most significant effect of high participation is the honor of the Islamic Republic,” Khamenei stated in a speech on Tuesday.
In what some experts said was an attempt to rally Iranians behind the regime's rhetoric of 'foreign enemies', he said, “The Islamic Republic has enemies. One of the things that can defeat these enemies is the election. If high participation of the people is observed in this election, it will be a source of honor for the Islamic Republic.”
A recent poll by the Netherlands-based Gamaan Institute suggest that at least two thirds of eligible Iranian voters have decided to abstain from casting a ballot.
In the 2021 presidential election in Iran, the voter turnout was notably low, recorded at around 48.8%, which was the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic's presidential elections.
The upcoming election is expected to face similar challenges, with projections of low turnout due to increasing social repression and the ongoing economic crisis facing the country.
The country's snap presidential election is set to be held on June 28 following the sudden death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.
Khamenei’s speech, delivered on Eid al-Ghadir—a significant Shiite Islamic holiday—emphasized the connection between religious duty and civic participation. Many observers noted that this was a transparent attempt to reinforce Tehran’s faltering legitimacy amid increasing internal and external pressures. He asserted, "Iran's strength does not lie in possessing an array of missiles, but fundamentally in the active participation of its citizens in the electoral process."
Additionally, Khamenei subtly indicated his favored presidential candidate by firmly rejecting any negotiations with the United States. He stated, "Some of our politicians believe they must align themselves with one power or another, or that the path to progress necessarily leads through the US; this is a grave misconception. Those who look beyond our borders fail to recognize and value our inherent capacities; naturally, they lack the vision to utilize them."
This stance would potentially appear to disqualify three of the six approved presidential candidates, including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, and Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian, in particular, is seen as disadvantaged due to his association with former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the so-called architect of the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), who advocates for dialogue with other countries, including the US, to lift current sanctions.
Khamenei's speech also suggested the Supreme Leader’s ongoing efforts to “purify” the political landscape by narrowing down the circle of trusted regime insiders. He even urged the future president to vow, "Make a solemn pledge before God that you will refrain from appointing individuals and agents who deviate even slightly from the revolutionary path.
Despite mounting criticism of the country’s isolationist foreign policy, Khamenei appeared steadfast in his "Looking East" strategy, emphasizing relations with China and Russia over the West. He attempted to deflect any criticism saying, "Contrary to popular misconceptions, we are not pursuing isolation or severing our global ties. Except for a few nations, we are open to fostering connections with the broader international community."
In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Iran International, the political prisoner asserts that Iranians now recognize the ruling power in the Islamic Republic seeks votes "only as a decoration for its authoritarian religious regime," with the president serving merely as a "facilitator for implementing orders."
Haeri is currently jailed in Ghezel Hesar Prison in the city of Karaj, serving a three-year, eight-month sentence. He received an additional prison sentence of about three months last July for his human rights activities during imprisonment.
A special election will be held on June 28 to replace former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. Six candidates, who have been handpicked by the Islamic Republic's Guardian Council, are vying to replace Raisi.
In his letter, Haeri pointed to the decline in electoral legitimacy and public support for the current regime, referring to the record-low voter turnout in the recent parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections. According to the state news outlet IRNA, about 25 million of Iran's 61 million eligible voters cast their ballots.
"The grandeur of this massive non-violent struggle for the right to self-determination has permanently changed the political landscape of the country," Haeri wrote.
Haeri emphasized that from 1997 to 2017, the “oppressed people of Iran” went to the polls out of fear and desperation to bring about change, but their participation yielded no lasting benefits.
According to a new survey, conducted by the Netherlands-based Gamaan Institute, 22% of respondents in Iran confirmed they would definitely vote, while 12% remain undecided.
The survey highlighted deep-seated dissatisfaction with the current political system, with roughly 68% of respondents citing "opposition to the overall system of the Islamic Republic" as their primary reason for not voting. Other notable reasons included "the limited power of the president".
Voter participation has been on a steady decline in Iran, with over 50% of eligible voters staying home for the election of now-deceased President Raisi in 2021. That election saw about 3.7 million invalid ballots cast, that were likely to have been mostly blank or protest votes.
Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers, union activists, and prominent cultural figures in Iran have publicly announced their decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming presidential elections. They assert that participation is futile and risks legitimizing the government while intensifying the suppression of dissent.
Haeri was released from Greater Tehran Prison in October 2020 after serving a previous sentence and receiving 74 lashes. In December last year, he was handed arbitrary new charges for writing letters against the death penalty, sham elections, and violations of fair trial rights for prisoners, and spent time in solitary confinement in June.
Other prisoners who have spoken out against participation in the upcoming elections include Nobel-laureate Narges Mohammadi and Golrokh Iraee.
Mohammadi wrote from Tehran’s Evin Prison that she would not participate in the "illegal elections of the oppressive and illegitimate government." Iraee criticized the factions of the so-called reformists for encouraging participation, calling it a betrayal, writing that "Reformists should know that we, the people of Iran, remember their betrayal from the beginning and will not forget."
Memorial services organized by the Iranian government globally in their honor, faced significant criticism from opponents of the Islamic Republic, sparking widespread discontent and controversy.
In Washington DC, a staff member of Iran's Interests Section in the US exacerbated tensions. In a video circulated on social media, Ramezan Soltan-Mohammadi was observed making a threatening gesture towards protesters, leading to an extended restraining order against him by a US court on June 17.
This incident, occurred on May 22 on the sideline of Raisi’s memorial service held by the Islamic Education Center (IEC) in Maryland, sparking renewed scrutiny into the ties between this sizeable mosque in Potomac and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Despite concerted efforts over the years by the administrative staff and board members of IEC to keep a low profile and refrain from drawing undue attention to this prominent Shia center in Montgomery County, the facility has consistently faced accusations from critics who allege it has functioned as a haven for supporters of the Islamic Republic for numerous years.
These allegations against the IEC, which also serves as a mosque, seem firmly grounded in reality.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan initiated legal action to seize this center in 2009 for its connection to Alavi Foundation, a New York City-based organization accused of illegally providing money and services to Iran and spending millions of dollars to obtain and develop properties in violation of federal laws that ban trade with Iran, the New York Times reported.
IEC managers have endeavored to distance themselves from Alavi and have long asserted that the mosque's association with the foundation is purely that of tenant to landlord.
Furthermore, the management board has opted to enhance the organization's public image by revising its mission statement, asserting that it functions solely as a place of worship and religious center without any political affiliations. Nevertheless, there are compelling facts that contradict these assertions. Since its inception, the leaders and members of this organization have consistently shown fervent support for the Islamic Republic, demonstrating unwavering devotion and admiration for the regime in both rhetoric and actions.
Hosting Raisi’s funeral and several meticulously organized ceremonies directed by authorities in Tehran serve as undeniable examples that underscore the current bond.
Such is the depth of influence that throughout its operational history, the prayer leader of the center has consistently been appointed by Tehran. The current Imam, Ahmad Bahraini, who has served at the center for approximately two decades, previously held the position of Ali Khamenei's representative at Shahid Beheshti University before relocating to the United States.
His predecessor, Hojatolislam Mohammad-Reza Hejazi, sparked controversy when he was detained at Washington Dulles International Airport in 2005 while trying to depart for Iran with nearly $100,000 in cash, disregarding US tax rules.
The IEC's notable connections to Tehran include hosting prominent figures and clerics closely associated with Iran's power structure. Mohsen Qara'ati, a high-profile clergyman with ties to the regime; Mohammad Kazem Rashed Yazdi, a cleric with personal connections to Ali Khamenei; Mohsen Taj Langaroudi, a prominent loyalist cleric; and Mohsen Taheri, a well-known eulogist affiliated with the Khamenei’s office, have all been hosted by IEC and visited the US at the center's invitation.
According to Iranian International investigations, the IEC has been found to have substantial ties with the Iranian Interest Section (IIS). This section acts as the representative of the Iranian government in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran. Our interviews with knowledgeable individuals suggest that certain current or former staff members of this center, as well as their spouses, have been employed by the ISS. Additionally, over the years, the center has frequently organized non-religious activities that align with the objectives of the Islamic Republic.
The authorities of the IEC have shown no willingness to respond to the claims stated.
According to its website, the Islamic Education Center in Washington was founded as a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Islam through cultural and religious activities. Despite its location in Potomac, Maryland, the decision to include "Washington" in its name reflects a historical dispute stemming from the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
The Center was established amid controversy following the expulsion of several of its current members from the prominent mosque of nation’s capital due to their occupation of the premises in 1981. According to the Washington Post, the dispute originated when "about a dozen demonstrators who support Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini occupied the mosque."
As reported by the newspaper, the board of the mosque, consisting of ambassadors to the United States from more than 40 Islamic nations, took legal action. Subsequently, a Superior Court judge issued an order for the demonstrators to evacuate the premises. When they declined to comply, some of the zealous supporters of Islamic Republic were charged with criminal contempt.
With sustenance from the Alavi Foundation, followers of Khomeini who were expelled from the Islamic Center of Washington instituted their own sanctuary by acquiring and renovating a sizable facility located in an affluent Maryland area.
The Islamic Center of Washington has displayed no interest in responding to Iran International’s questions regarding the four-decade-old conflict.
