In an act of defiance, political prisoners in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison staged a protest against Iran’s upcoming presidential election just one hour after the final debate between candidates ended.
The demonstration began in the women’s ward, where prisoners chanted slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Woman, life, freedom.”
The protest lasted approximately 15 minutes and quickly spread to four adjacent men’s wards.
This latest act of dissent follows a series of statements and messages from political prisoners in recent days, calling for a boycott of the presidential election.
Several high-profile detainees, including Ahmadreza Haeri, Narges Mohammadi, Golrokh Iraei, and Mehboubeh Rezaei, have publicly urged Iranians to abstain from voting.
The call for a boycott has extended beyond Evin Prison.
Javad Lalmohammadi, a political prisoner held in Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad, used a phone call to encourage citizens to refrain from participating in the election.
Lalmohammadi said, “Those who saw the unjustly shed blood of Iranian youth, their blinded eyes, and the suffering of political prisoners, yet still participate in the elections, deserve no other adjective than a traitor.”
Calls for a boycott come amid growing criticism of the electoral process and concerns about human rights in Iran.
Critics argue that the election lacks genuine choice and does not reflect the people’s will.
The presidential election is scheduled for June 28. The snap election was necessitated by President Ebrahim Raisi’s death in May.
Source » ncr-iran