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The Fakeness of Elections in The Dictatorships of The Shah and The Mullahs
The exposure of Iran’s sham elections and cabinet selection, as confessed by its regime president Masoud Pezeshkian during the open session of the parliament once again showed everyone that in the absolute autocracy of the regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the electoral show is hollow, meaningless, and merely a distortion of the word “election.”
This scandal is reminiscent of the disgrace of elections during the monarchical dictatorship. Reza Pahlavi, who referred to his handpicked parliament as a “stable,” never believed in voting or elections. In 1926, the British ambassador wrote in his annual report on the state of the Iranian parliament that the parliament cannot be taken seriously; its representatives are neither free nor independent, and parliamentary elections are not held freely. When the Shah favors a bill, it is passed; when he opposes it, it is rejected; and when he is indifferent, extensive debates occur on the bill.
Iran’s Power Crisis: Unannounced Outages Cripple Businesses and Agriculture
Across Iran, frequent and unannounced power cuts are causing significant financial losses to businesses and agricultural sectors, highlighting a growing energy crisis in the country. From pistachio farms to industrial zones, the impact of these outages is being felt in various provinces, raising concerns about long-term economic consequences. In Yazd province, the pistachio industry has been particularly affected. Mohammad Mehdi Shatrangi, director of horticulture affairs at the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Yazd, reported damages amounting to 7 trillion tomans due to power cuts to agricultural wells. The situation has been exacerbated by extreme heat in recent months, leading to a decrease in gross pistachio production.
Shatrangi warned that the current policy of cutting electricity to agricultural wells for five hours daily, especially in small-scale farms, is prolonging irrigation times and could have destructive long-term effects on agricultural production.
Elham Ostadi Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Criticizing Police Officer’s Rape of Teenage Girl
Elham Ostadi, a 30-year-old woman from Iranshahr in southeastern Iran, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Zahedan for “propaganda against the state.” Her crime was posting on social media in support of protests against the rape of a 15-year-old girl by a former police commander in Chabahar. This case highlights the ongoing repression of free speech in Iran, especially when it involves criticism of state officials or institutions.
On August 20, 2024, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province, sentenced Elham Estadi to one year in prison for “propaganda against the state.”
12 million Liters of Fuel Smuggled Out of Iran Every Day
A member of the Iranian regime’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines reported that 12 million liters of fuel are smuggled daily from Iran to neighboring countries, adding that the annual value of this smuggled fuel is 4 billion dollars, with 3.5 billion dollars being “pure windfall profit.”
On Sunday, August 25, Ali Shams-Ardakani added that smugglers take the fuel to the city of Van in Turkey, where they barter it for clothing, shoes, and other products.
Ardakani also claimed to have the names of those involved in fuel smuggling to Turkey but refrained from disclosing them.
A Prisoner Was Publicly Executed in Shahroud
The Iranian judiciary, early this morning, Monday, August 26, 2024, carried out the death sentence of a prisoner who had previously been sentenced to public execution for the murder of a judicial attorney in Shahroud County. The second branch of the criminal court in Semnan province had issued the death sentence for this defendant publicly.
The ISNA news agency, quoting Mohammad Sadegh Akbari, the head of Semnan Province Judiciary, wrote: ‘Based on the final verdict issued by Branch 49 of the Supreme Court, the murderer Mahmoud Reza Jafar Aghaei was sentenced to public retribution for intentional murder by shooting with a hunting rifle, which the case’s sentence entered the enforcement stage this morning after legal proceedings.’
Iran Sends Russia Ballistic Missiles Amid Growing Economic Ties in 2024
On August 24, 2024, Pavel Lozhkin, Deputy Head of Russia’s Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, announced Moscow’s readiness to collaborate with Tehran in various sectors such as industrial development, mining, tourism, and transportation. During the meeting, Lozhkin stressed the importance of initiating business exchanges between Officials of Russia’s Far East and Iran to strengthen mutual relations. These exchanges will help both parties understand ongoing projects and utilize each other’s strengths to achieve their goals.
Earlier, on August 18, Ilyas Zaripov, an associate professor at Plekhanov University of Economics, highlighted a recent currency agreement between Iran and Russia as a key factor in boosting bilateral trade. Zaripov suggested that this agreement could serve as a model for financial exchanges among BRICS countries.
Toronto, August 24, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iranian Revolution, Condemn Wave of Executions in Iran
Toronto, Canada—August 24, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally to protest the rising wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime. MEK supporters in Toronto demanded that the leaders of the mullahs’ regime be tried for crimes against humanity in an international court.
Paris, August 23, 2024: MEK Supporters Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Paris, France—August 23, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organize a photo and book exhibition. This exhibition is held in solidarity with the Iranian Revolution and as a protest against the increasing wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
Stockholm, August 24, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Support of the Iranian Revolution, Condemn Wave of Executions in Iran
Stockholm, Sweden—August 24, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in front of the Swedish Parliament to protest the rising wave of executions carried out by the Iranian regime. They also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners held in the prisons of the mullahs’ regime in Iran and expressed their solidarity with the Iranian Revolution.
Supporters of Iranian Resistance Rally in Rome to Back Resistance Units and Condemn Brutal Executions by the Regime
Rome, Italy—August 20, 2024: The freedom-loving Iranians, supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), gathered to show their support for the MEK Resistance Units inside the country and expressed their outrage at the brutal executions carried out by the mullahs’ regime.
The prominent sculptor and artist and a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Mr. Reza Olia, delivered a speech at this gathering.