Grammy winner sentenced ‘for the ability to sing,’ floods hit impoverished province—and more
The Iranist for the week of March 7, 2024
۱/1 Elections are lowest turnout in 45 years
* “Reformists” or “Moderates” describe themselves as individuals who believe in the status quo and reforming the Islamic Republic, while “Principlists” or “Fundamentalists” are what Western media call “hardliners.”
On March 1, Iranians went to the polls to partake in the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections. According to state media, 15,200 parliamentary candidates ran for the 290-seat legislature—twice the number of candidates in the 2020 election. Of that number, 1,713 were women (819 women competed in 2020). Nevertheless, most moderate candidates were disqualified in an effort for hardliners to consolidate power. 144 clerics ran for the eighty-eight seats of the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with advising and selecting the Supreme Leader.
Empty stations: Polling stations were given an additional six-hour extension for voting—presumably because turnout was so low (AP). A Western journalist covering the elections told me that polling stations were “pretty empty” in the capital Tehran, including the famous Hosseiniyeh Ershad Mosque in Tehran where many of the political elites vote. Social media videos posted online showed vacant polling stations in numerous provinces. Interestingly, photos and videos of women at polling stations “dressed in attire that on a normal day would likely earn them a warning or even detention” were shared by some state media outlets (Radio Farda).
Many abstained: Some Iranians in Iran and members of the diaspora called for a boycott of the elections using hashtag رای_بی_رای# (“No way I'll vote”). Among those who called for a boycott were members of the disbanded diaspora opposition coalition and even imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. Just days before the election, authorities arrested dozens for calling for a boycott (IranWire).
On March 6, former President Mohammad Khatami spoke of his boycott:
"This time, I’ve resolved that if I can’t directly impact people’s lives, I’ll stand in solidarity with the numerous disheartened individuals who harbor the belief, deep within, that if there’s a path forward, it lies in reformation.” (IranWire)
It took days to announce the outcome and no explanation was given. According to IranWire:
“The delay in announcing Tehran’s final results has sparked speculation about a higher-than-usual number of spoil[ed] ballots… This concern is further amplified by comments from prominent reformist Saeed Shariati, who noted the surge in invalid votes in the capital.” (IranWire).
Invalid and spoiled ballots are counted in the turnout.
The possibility of voter fraud: While national identity cards must be stamped, new amendments to the election law allow the option to use alternative documentation such as driver’s licenses to vote—allowing the possibility for voter fraud through repeated voting or the use of fake identities (IranWire). Additionally, the interior ministry prints out several million additional ballots for every election in the event that there is a mistake, allowing for another opportunity for fraud (IranWire).
The numbers: On March 4, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that 25 million Iranians voted (41 percent) despite “bad weather and continuous propaganda by the enemy.” (AP) The 2021 parliamentary elections had a voter turnout of 42 percent, making this year’s election the lowest in the Islamic Republic’s forty-five-year history. He noted that 2 million ballots were invalid (8 percent).
Alborz province had the lowest turnout, with 28.4 percent, followed by Kurdistan province, with 30.54 percent, and the capital, Tehran, with 34 percent (IranWire).
245 seats out of 290 were determined in the first round, and a run-off is expected to be held in April or May. Of that number, 200 are hardline MP candidates and eleven are women MPs.
The twelfth parliament since the 1979 Islamic revolution will convene on May 27.
۲/2 Iran executed 834+ people in 2023—the highest since 2015
۳/3 Floods hit Sistan and Baluchistan, causing $40 million in damages
Half a million people have been displaced in southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province due to devastating floods that began on February 25. The impoverished province is home to the neglected Sunni Muslim Baluch minority. Sistan and Baluchistan province has been one of the most vocal in its anti-regime sentiment since the Women, Life, Freedom uprising began in 2022.
Heavy rainfall reportedly led to widespread flooding and overflowed four dams, which affected 1,947 villages across the province. At least 1,800 homes were damaged by the floods. State media reported that the disaster caused $40 million in damages (Al-Monitor). Officials claim no casualties, but Baluch sources say at least five have been killed.
On March 4, authorities blocked the country’s top Sunni cleric from visiting the devastation in Dashtyari, one of the worst areas hit by the flooding (RFE/RL). Molavi Abdolhamid, who leads Friday Prayers in the provincial capital Zahedan, was stopped at a checkpoint, and his teenage sons were arrested. Abdolhamid has repeatedly criticized the clerical establishment for its repression of ethnic and religious minorities and, most recently, its mishandling of disaster relief efforts. He has called on the public to provide aid to those affected.
On March 5, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake also struck the province (IranWire).
According to IranWire:
“Despite official promises and reports, local Baluch sources say that houses remain flooded, roads blocked, and some villages still lack water and electricity.”
On March 6, President Ebrahim Raisi visited the disaster zone.
Iran International claims authorities took a week to acknowledge the crisis.
The outlet also reported that:
“Criticism [is] mount[ing] against governmental priorities, with citizens accusing authorities of neglecting flood victims in favor of political pursuits. Reports emerged of ballot boxes for Friday’s elections being dispatched to flood-affected areas amidst the ongoing crisis, fueling public outrage.”
۴/4 Grammy winner goes to prison and a rapper goes on trial
On March 1, Iran-based pop singer Shervin Hajipour, 27, said he had been sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly “inciting and provoking people to riot to disturb national security” and an eight-month sentence for “propaganda against the regime.” (Al-Monitor) Hajipour was also barred from leaving Iran for two years and ordered to produce a song to “promote the achievements” of the Islamic Republic and another about the US’ “atrocities,” according to his Instagram post.
The Associated Press reported that:
“The court issued its sentence in part because it found he hadn’t properly expressed regret over publishing the song.”
In February 2023, Hajipour won a Grammy for “Best Song for Social Change” for his song “Baraye” (“For”), the de facto anthem of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising. The song was composed of actual tweets by Iranians. The Grammy was presented by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and the song was even played at the 2023 White House Nowruz reception.
In September 2022, just days after the song went viral in Iran, Hajipour’s post was deleted after he was arrested by authorities. The singer was released on bail days later in October 2022, but appeared under duress when he filmed himself in the car after being let out of prison. Hajipour has been awaiting trial since.
For the Tatalits: On March 4, Iranian rapper Amir Tataloo—real name Amirhossein Maghsoudloo, 36—went on trial (IranWire).
According to state media, the allegations against the rapper are:
“establishing a gambling operation, inciting individuals to access obscene content, encouraging crimes against chastity and sexual perversions, and promoting corruption and prostitution.” (IranWire)
The charges could carry the death penalty.
In December 2023, Turkish police arrested Tataloo and handed him over to Iran due to a case filed by Iranian authorities on allegations of “spreading corruption and obscenity.” (VOA)
Tataloo is one of the most famous rappers in Iran and is known for his song, “Nuclear Energy,” which was filmed on a frigate in the Persian Gulf at the height of the nuclear talks in 2015. I wrote about him appearing with his tattooed arms alongside then-presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi during the 2017 election to garner the youth vote (Today, he is tattooed from head to toe). In 2019, he was banned from returning to Iran after he smoked marijuana at a concert in neighboring Georgia and encouraged fans to do so. That same year, his Instagram account was blocked after he posted misogynistic content and asked underage girls to come to his home in Turkey to establish a harem (IranWire).
An Iranian social media user noted that only photos of Tataloo on trial have been published, but none of Hajipour.
*Note: Tataloo fans are known as “Tatalits.”
Meanwhile, imprisoned Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin has been transferred to a psychiatric hospital again (IranWire).
۵/5 Women under heavy surveillance, their cars confiscated for “violating“ mandatory hijab law
۶/6 President Ebrahim Raisi visits Algeria
On March 2, President Ebrahim Raisi visited Algeria for two days—a first for an Iranian president in fourteen years. Raisi attended the 7th Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which includes Algeria, Iran, Egypt, Libya, Qatar, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and several other states as members (Al-Monitor). The following day, the Iranian president met with his counterpart, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who had reportedly extended the invitation to visit.
The duo discussed bilateral ties, energy cooperation, and trade as well as the Gaza war (Reuters). Raisi, speaking in a meeting, commended “Algeria’s leading role in the fight against hegemony and colonialism and said, ‘Algeria’s regional policy is in line with promoting peace and security in the region and we view this policy as positive.’” (PressTV)
“Algeria and Iran are aligned on some international issues. Both countries are close to Russia and regularly condemn Israel over the war in Gaza,” reported Al-Monitor.
The countries signed Memorandums of Understanding in the areas of communication, gas, sports, and tourism. According to the Iran and African Continent Merchants Club, Tehran exported $1.1 million worth of goods to Algeria between March – June 2023—a 109 percent increase compared to the previous year (Al-Monitor).
The last president to visit Algeria was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010.
۷/7 US, EU express concern but don’t censure Iran at IAEA Board of Governors meeting
OTHER اخبار/NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES:
Human rights
۰German-Iranian woman ordered back to Tehran jail after furlough (IranWire)
۰Reformist Tajzadeh faces new charges amid ongoing jail time (IranWire)
۰ Teacher arrested for "illegal gathering" at Mahsa Amini's grave (IranWire)
۰ Former political prisoner among asylum seekers detained en route to Italy (IranWire)
۰ Officials bar elderly women from playing football (IranWire)
۰ ‘Every girl in Iran is born into a cage’: exiled Kurdish women fighting for freedom in Iraq (The Guardian)
Domestic affairs
۰Fire breaks out during maintenance at Aftab refinery (Reuters)
Foreign policy + security
۰ FBI hunts for suspected Iranian assassin targeting Trump-era officials (Semifor)
۰ Hamas snipers using US-made sights sold openly to Iran (Haaretz)
۰ Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, UK defense chief suggests (Politico)
۰Iran claims it executed Mossad ‘terrorist’ for drone attack on Isfahan arms facility (Times of Israel)
۰ Revolutionary Guard member and two others killed in attack in Syria (Al Jazeera)
۰ Hackers target Israeli and UAE defense firms (Iran International)
Iran deal + sanctions
۰ West avoids seriously confronting Iran as IAEA meet begins (Reuters)
۰ Halkbank urges immunity from US prosecution in Iran sanctions case (Reuters)
۰ IRGC chief claims regime's resilience amid sanctions (Iran International)
Diaspora
۰ Foreign ministry claims working on exiled singer Moein’s return (IranWire)