NCRI – On Friday's elections, a number of incidents of factional feuding were reported by the Resistance's sources inside Iran.
Two residents were shot to death by the Bassij Paramilitary Force in a polling station in Vali-Abad Township suburb of the northern city of Tonekabon. The local official tried to come up with bogus reasons to cover for the crime.
In a separate incident, the rival factions broke the ballot boxes and set them ablaze in a polling station in the southern city of Kazeroun. Members of the Bassij force tried in vain to bring the situation under control and sustained injuries themselves. Agents of State Security Forces (SSF) were dispatched from the nearby police stations to quell the voters.
Supporters of a disqualified candidate staged a gathering in protest against the decision by the elections watch dog in the northern city of Marand on Friday. In the course of the event SSF agents clashed with the voters. Fresh SSF members arrived at the scene to control the crowd when their commander and two other agents of the force were wounded by the protesters.
People supporting two different candidates battled it out in a polling station in the southwestern city of Andimeshk. The feuding parties threw hand grenades at each other.
In squabbles between the two rival factions four people were injured in the southern province of Fars. More than 50 SSF agents were dispatched to the area in full anti-riot gear. Considering the volatile state of the region, Imam Sajad Brigade has been put on full alert.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
March 16, 2008