Iran dissidents blast 'sham' election after hardliner tied to executions becomes President
Fox News
Iranian dissidents on Saturday slammed what they described as a "sham" election, after the election of a notorious hardliner who was tied to mass executions was elected president of the theocratic regime.
"Despite astronomical rigging and falsifying the vote tally, the dimensions of the popular boycott were so extensive that the regime succumbed to announcing a lower than 49 percent turnout, plainly admitting that the majority of Iranian people boycotted the sham election and testified to its illegitimacy," the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) President-elect Maryam Rajavi said in a statement. Khamenei’s Guardian Council had disqualified a number of candidates who could compete with Raisi, including a number of moderate and reform candidates -- causing even hardliners such as former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to join calls for a boycott. The State Department told Fox News last week that Iranians "should be allowed to exercise their right to choose their own leaders in free and fair elections."More Related News