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Mehdi Karoubi, one of the leaders of Iran's 2009 Green Movement who has been under house arrest since 2011, cast his ballot on Friday, even though fellow Green Movement leaders Mir-Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard abstained from voting.
Karroubi had voted in the first round of Iran's presidential election last week.
The Green Movement sprang up in 2009, when in a dubious presidential election Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was unexpectedly announced the winner, triggering protests. Mousavi and Karroubi who were running against Ahmadinejad were later put under house arrest after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denounced then as "seditionists."
The Iran Human Rights Organization (IHRNGO) based in Norway has warned of a likely surge in executions following the presidential election in Iran.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of IHRNGO, cautioned that Iranian authorities historically reduce executions "to encourage people to participate in the elections" and then sharply increase them immediately afterward.
“The people of Iran and the international community must prepare now to counter and respond appropriately to the potential wave of executions,” Amiry-Moghaddam stated.
IHRNGO’s latest figures show 249 executions have occurred over the past six months. The report indicates a 30% decrease in executions compared to last year, attributing this decline to the parliamentary and presidential elections. The organization's 15-year statistical analysis shows a consistent decline in executions in the two weeks leading up to elections, believed to be a tactic to boost voter turnout.
The report also details that 14 people were executed for security and ideological reasons, including five who were hanged on charges of spying for Israel. Additionally, it was noted that 35 of the executed individuals were Baluchis, who, despite making up only 2-6% of Iran's population, accounted for 14% of all executions.
In December, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran highlighted the "shocking" levels of killings, torture, and brutality against the Baluch minority, noting that Baluchis are disproportionately targeted and executed within the Iranian criminal justice system.
In Iran's eastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, the predominantly Sunni Baluch community has faced severe persecution over the past 44 years, enduring the highest execution rate in the country.
Iran’s Interior Ministry has extended voting for two hours, until 8 pm (local time), to allow late-comers to cast ballots in the runoff presidential election.
Political prisoners in Tehran’s Evin Prison abstained from voting in the runoff presidential elections, just as they did last week, according to former political prisoner Mehdi Mahmoudian.
Among them were Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, reformist politician Mostafa Tajzadeh, and former MP Faezeh Hashemi.
Iran will have a new president by Saturday, July 6. However, two factors have badly damaged the status of the President, whoever he might be, and even the institution of the presidency.
First, the two finalists engaged in serious mudslinging toward the end of their campaigns, damaging each other's credibility. Second, at least 60 percent of voters refused to go to the polls, exposing a significant rupture in the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic.
The relatively moderate Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner Saeed Jalili have accused each other of lying, hypocrisy, inefficiency and corruption several times during this week’s debates. Neither had even the chance to respond to the allegations because of the chaotic nature of the debates aired on Iran's state television.
All the candidates, particularly the final two, have seriously undermined the status of Iranian Presidents, both past and future. They repeatedly emphasized that presidents are unable to bring about any change in the country's rigid political system. They also pointed out that there are areas, such as hijab enforcement and internet filtering, where Iranian presidents have no influence.
The debates aired on national TV revealed to voters that the two men, one of whom will certainly be the country's next president, are incapable of engaging in a healthy dialogue. They frequently interrupted each other and displayed visible irritation, undermining their credibility.
Numerous programs aired on state TV showed that both politicians, along with their aides and supporters, were unable to control their anger. They proved incapable of handling challenges and disputes diplomatically and calmly. None of their interactions could be characterized as civilized debate, often ending in unresolved conflict.
All that said, the winner has to face serious international challenges starting with the saber rattling in the Middle East and the prospects of political changes in Europe and the United States that are likely to affect Iran's place in the international equilibrium.
There is also the ongoing war in Ukraine and allegations about Iran's involvement in the conflict. Tough decisions and compromises are needed to balance Tehran's interests, especially considering China’s and Russia's interactions with Iran's southern neighbors.
Hard decisions in terms of foreign policy need to be made to lift crippling sanctions on the country’s oil exports imposed by the United States to rein in its nuclear program. Tehran is in desperate need of dollars to finance its essential imports and make at least minimal investments in its aging oil and gas industry.
Responding to allegations about Iran's regional ambitions and its involvement in international terrorism may be even more challenging than routine diplomatic transactions. Additionally, these challenges are compounded by a significant portion of the population that chose not to vote in the first round, driven by lingering resentment from the violent crackdown on the 2022 protests and ongoing financial problems that have worsened over the past three years under an ultraconservative government.
Addressing hunger, providing jobs to the unemployed, and pacifying disgruntled youths and women should be the new president's priorities within the country. Achieving these goals requires overcoming the ideological barriers between the people and the state.
Beyond these immediate concerns are the systemic challenges that have hindered the country's development since 1979. Regardless of who wins the election on Saturday, the pressing question remains: Given the significant damage to both candidates' reputations during the debates and the diminished status of the presidency, will either be able to accomplish even half of what is expected?
