The recent Iranian presidential election has been widely denounced as a sham, with the people of Iran boycotting the process. According to reports from inside Iran by the social headquarters of the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK), an astounding 88% of eligible voters refused to participate, dealing a severe blow to the regime’s legitimacy.
This widespread boycott reflects the Iranian people’s deep-seated frustration with a political system they view as corrupt and criminal. The regime’s unelected Guardian Council vetted all candidates, and they are fully loyal to Supreme Leader Khamenei. The election has now entered a second phase with the two remaining candidates.
The death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash dealt a strategic blow to the regime’s Supreme Leader. Khamenei had appointed Raisi as president to consolidate his power. Known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’, Raisi earned this notorious title for his role in the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners when he served on the death commission in Tehran. He was notably obedient to Khamenei.
Now, Khamenei faces two major problems with this election. First, he must maintain power against the uprisings of the explosive Iranian society. Second, he needs to appoint his successor, given his old age. In the second phase of the show on 6 July, Khamenei will ultimately choose his next president.
Berlin rally and Paris summit show solidarity
The day after the election, tens of thousands of Iranians gathered in Berlin to demonstrate their rejection of the electoral farce and express their aspirations for a free and democratic Iran and the Ten-point Plan of Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The massive show of solidarity echoed the aspirations of Iranian people inside and outside Iran for regime change.
Concurrent with the Berlin rally, a major international conference called Free Iran 2024 convened in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris. This event featured Rajavi as a key speaker. In her address, Rajavi emphasised that the Iranian people’s decision to boycott the sham presidential election widely reaffirms their determination to overthrow the religious dictatorship and liberate Iran. She strongly criticised the appeasement policy pursued by Western governments towards the Iranian regime, likening it to the appeasement of Nazi Germany before World War II.
Rajavi pointed out that democratic governments succumbing to the Iranian regime’s policy of taking hostages have descended into what she called “hostage democracy”. She stressed that the policy of appeasement over the past four decades has inflicted grave damage on the Iranian people, peace in the Middle East, and global security. Rajavi concluded by emphasising that this appeasement policy deserves the condemnation of history.
International support amplifies Iranian voices
More than 500 parliamentarians and prominent political figures from Europe, America and the Middle East participated in the Free Iran World Summit, with over 130 of them giving speeches. Notable speakers included Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Stephen Harper, Michèle Alliot-Marie, and Bernard Kouchner. Read some of the speeches here.
Delegations from various European parliaments also attended the conference, introducing a statement signed by 4,000 parliamentarians from 81 legislative assemblies in 50 countries, including 553 MPs and peers from UK. The speakers used the conference as a platform to amplify the voice of the Iranian opposition and garner international support for democratic change in Iran.
Now world leaders must take heed
The combination of the election boycott, the Berlin demonstration, and the Paris conference underscores the growing momentum of the Iranian resistance movement. It highlights the increasing isolation of the current regime and the expanding international recognition of alternative visions for Iran’s future, particularly Rajavi’s 10-point plan for a secular, democratic Iran with equal rights for all citizens.
As the situation continues to evolve, the Iranian people’s clear rejection of the status quo through their boycott and public demonstrations sends a powerful message to the international community. It challenges world leaders to reassess their approach to Iran and consider supporting the democratic aspirations of its people.
