Iran threatens legal action against those opposing voting abroad

An Iranian man covers his face to avoid recognition while voting in London, June 28, 2024.
An Iranian man covers his face to avoid recognition while voting in London, June 28, 2024.

An Iranian judicial official has issued a warning that Tehran will file “criminal cases” against anyone who “obstructs voting” in its presidential election at designated polling stations abroad.

Kazem Gharibabadi, the Deputy of International Affairs of the Judiciary, announced on Wednesday that "criminal cases will be filed and pursued against any Iranian or non-Iranian person abroad who, through "insult and threat or creating fear and intimidation," prevents Iranians from participating in the presidential election voting."

The announcement follows a note of protest sent by the Iranian Embassy in London to the British government on June 30. The embassy claimed that there were "attempts to disrupt the presidential voting process and cause trouble for the voters."

It came after the first round of the presidential election, where some individuals in the UK protested outside Iran's missions against Iranians participating in the polls, urging them to boycott the elections as 60 percent of the populace did.

Opposition activists and many regime critics both within Iran and abroad say that the election is a sham exercise by the government, which has denied real freedom of choice to voters and has brutally suppressed dissent.

Since its establishment in 1979, the Iranian government has faced extensive criticism for its human rights violations, including numerous executions and extrajudicial killings. The government has consistently used the death penalty as a means of political repression, targeting dissidents, activists, and minorities. Widespread reports of torture, arbitrary detention, and unfair trials highlight the methods employed by security forces to suppress critics.

Human rights organizations continue to document the abuses, underscoring the government's ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression, assembly, and belief. Despite international condemnation, the Iranian government persists in these practices, creating an environment of fear and repression for its citizens.