Iranians boycott presidential elections

Several student organizations, women's and youth groups are adding their voices to the growing collective effort to boycott the upcoming presidential election in Iran.

Under the banner of "The National Network Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution," the groups issued a collective statement, endorsing organized protests targeting the electoral process.

Their initiative included “meeting with families of political prisoners, conducting nighttime chants with slogans in Iran" and advocating for the staging of demonstrations outside of Iranian embassies abroad.

Their objective, they say, is to sustain the movement that was triggered in September 2022 following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini while in the custody of the so-called morality police. The state's subsequent killing of at least 550 protesters during its crackdown has been labeled a crime against humanity by a UN fact-finding mission.

The upcoming presidential ballot features five hand-picked insider politicians. Experts have often noted that the office of the president holds limited influence over many institutions and critical decisions, which are predominantly shaped by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Over the weekend, over 500 teachers, union activists, and prominent cultural figures in Iran similarly issued a joint statement publicly declaring their decision to abstain from participating in the upcoming presidential elections.

Influential figures have also voiced dissent against Iran's upcoming June 28 snap presidential election. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has criticized the election, calling it a facade orchestrated by an oppressive regime.