{"id":22770,"date":"2021-06-24T18:00:50","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T16:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=22770"},"modified":"2021-06-24T07:54:28","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T05:54:28","slug":"iran-raisi-tries-and-fails-to-deflect-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2021\/06\/iran-raisi-tries-and-fails-to-deflect-criticism\/22770\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran: Raisi Tries (and Fails) To Deflect Criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Iranian presidential election on June, 18, 2021, ended with the predicted result and Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi <\/a>was the victor, despite a nationwide boycott <\/a>by the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Raisi\u2019s first press conference<\/a>, he appeared to respond to the criticisms against him that fueled the boycott, like his role in the 1988 massacre<\/a>. However, this did nothing to allay the criticism, with more pouring in during and after his speech, both domestically and internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran\u00a0(PMOI\/MEK<\/a>), which organized the boycott, reported that less than 10% of eligible voters came to the polls, with Resistance Leader Maryam <\/a>Rajavi calling<\/a> it \u201cthe greatest political and social blow to the mullahs\u2019 Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei<\/a> and the ruling theocracy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Historic congratulation to the Iranian people on the nationwide boycott of the mullahs\u2019 sham election; the greatest political & social blow to Khamenei & the ruling theocracy. The world saw that the Iranian nation voted for this regime's overthrow. #Iran<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/MO6uGjwzSq<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) June 18, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>