Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, May 21, 2021—Top Iranian officials are warning about possible protests as the upcoming presidential election approaches, and they are threatening to severely repress any unrest.
According to the regime’s state-run website Andishe Moaser, on Thursday, May 20, the regime’s deputy Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i said, “The judiciary will seriously deal with violators of the elections and any irregularities in this period.”
“In current circumstances, the election is the country’s most important event, and the enemies will increase their efforts to weaken us to reach their evil goals,” Mohseni-Eje'i said.
Mohseni-Eje'i also cautioned candidates to be careful in their words and deeds and to avoid anything that might lead to social protests.
“The enemy is looking to divide us and harm the country’s security. We need to be vigilant and our security and judiciary institutions must take preventive measures,” Mohseni-Eje'i emphasized.
Simultaneously, deputy commander of the State Security Forces, Qassem Rezai, warned about possible unrests. “The enemy wants our elections not to be held passionately,” Rezai said.
“Our responsibility is to maintain the security of elections and we will prepare us for those who try to disturb the order of the elections,” Rezai said. “Any rioter who under any pretext tries to disturb society, we will nip it at the bud.”
These remarks show the regime’s fear of the powder keg situation of Iran’s society. The regime faces three major obstacles in holding its sham elections. These obstacles are its fear of social protests, the power struggle between various factions, and a low election turnout. The regime’s red line is obviously the outbreak of any protests and especially after five major anti-regime uprisings in the last two and half years the regime will not be able to control a new wave of protests.
In the past two years, the Iranian people clearly expressed their desire for regime change and chanted "Down with Khamenei," "For 40 years we shed bloodied tears, enough is enough, we'll take a stand," and “Reformists, hardliners, the game is over.”
The people of Iran do not want this regime anymore. In recent weeks many regime officials and state-run media acknowledged public dissent in Iran.
On May 16, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Chief of Staff of former regime President Mohammad Khatami acknowledged, “This time the main contestant in the election is neither a reformist nor a principalist. It is low election turnout.”
