Top Cleric Warns of Post-Election Unrest Despite Lack of Interest Among Electorate

A protester holds a "Where Is My Vote" placard during post-electon protests in Tehran in 2009
A protester holds a "Where Is My Vote" placard during post-electon protests in Tehran in 2009

Alireza Arafi, a prominent Shia cleric and member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, warned against potential "sedition" following the upcoming Iranian presidential elections.

"In the past, we have experienced sedition following elections where the law was not respected," Arafi said in his Friday prayers sermon in Qom.

"We must be vigilant about sedition after the elections. In the past, some did not comply with the law, and it is expected from the candidates, their campaign teams, and supporters to adhere to ethics and the law," Arafi said.

Sedition is the word Iranian hardliners use for the 2009 post-election unrest that nearly overthrew the Islamic government by rallying over three million people in Tehran against the ultraconservative establishment.

However, surveys show a lack of interest among the electorate in Iran's June 28 snap presidential election, unlike the 2009 elections where 85% of eligible voters cast their ballots.

In a survey conducted by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA), 73% of respondents indicated they did not watch the first presidential debate on June 17.

This lack of engagement is alarming as Iran prepares to elect a new president following the unexpected death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.

Moreover, the ISPA's findings reveal a broader trend of apathy towards election news, with 35% of respondents indicating they do not follow election news at all, and others only minimally engaged.