Mothers of Iran's Killed Protesters Denounce Upcoming Presidential Election

Mothers of slain Iranian protesters and dissidents have denounced the upcoming June 28 snap presidential election in Iran, calling it a "circus."

In a joint statement Wednesday, they said that Iran's government has caused immense suffering through executions and violence. Yet, ahead of elections, candidates implicated in these crimes talk of freedom and improvement

They added, "We will not stop seeking justice until we get our right to try and punish the criminals who innocently executed and shot our children."

Gohar Eshghi, mother of blogger Sattar Beheshti who was killed under torture in an Iranian prison, separately urged the public to boycott the elections in a video message shared on her Instagram.

""Boycott this government charade! Let the liars and their reformist/hardliner pawns play alone. The world will again hear our answer: NO to the Islamic Republic!” she wrote in the post’s caption.

Azamat Azhdari, whose sister Ghanimat Azhdari was killed on Ukrainian Flight PS752 shot down in 2020 by Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), also released a video. Azhdari said that there is an "ocean of blood" between the voters and people like her.

Similar statements have been shared recently by other family members of slain Iranian protesters of the 2022 uprising in Iran.

Many Iranian activists, student groups, cultural figures, and prominent current and former political prisoners in Iran have called for a boycott of the upcoming elections.

During Iran’s 2022 protests, at least 500 protestors were killed by state security forces, and tens of thousands were arrested.

Iran's 2024 snap presidential elections were announced following the sudden death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.