Mostafa Tajzadeh, a prominent Iranian political prisoner, has said that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “lacks the tact necessary to steer the country toward comprehensive, equitable and sustainable development.”
In a letter published on his Telegram channel on February 18, Tajzadeh accused Khamenei of neglecting Iran’s pressing issues and rendering the electoral process meaningless.
Khamenei, who has the last say on all matters in Iran, has withheld “the contributions of capable individuals” and hindered “essential structural reform,” said Tajzadeh, a reformist political activist who has been repeatedly arrested since 2009 and subjected to harsh sentences.
In September 2022, the activist was sentenced to five years in prison on charges including “collusion against national security,” “spreading falsehoods” and “propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
He is incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin prison.
The imprisoned activist decried the stifling of dissent and obstruction of necessary reforms, arguing that genuine progress requires political foresight and moral courage, qualities Tajzadeh believes Khamenei sorely lacks.
The leader’s policies have “systematically weakened elected bodies like parliament, rendering them incapable of instigating substantive change,” he said, adding that Khamenei has also imposed stringent restrictions on individual freedoms and access to the internet.
Tajzadeh warned that these limitations could impede Iran’s integration with the international community and jeopardize its economic prosperity.
The activist concluded by asserting that a significant portion of the Iranian population has opted not to participate in the parliamentary elections on March 1.
He suggested that many citizens have lost faith in the prospect of reform within the existing political system and are resorting to peaceful forms of resistance to voice their discontent.
Khamenei recently delivered a speech urging Iranians to actively engage in the electoral process.
He hailed elections as the “main pillar of the Islamic Republic system” and the most effective means to tackle the nation’s challenges.
Source » iranwire