Special Report: Iranians Unite! Pro-Democracy Iranians Boycott Islamic Republic’s Rigged Anti-Democratic Elections

In an historic show of unity, Iranian opposition leaders together drafted and signed the following declaration. The leaders represent a broad spectrum of Iranian groups around the world calling for a boycott of the June 17th Presidential election.

Millions of pro-democracy Iranians will boycott the rigged anti-democratic elections of the Islamic republic on June 17. Since the mullahs consider any vote in the election to be a vote for the regime, we urge all Iranians to boycott the regime’s anti-democratic election charade. READ MORE

The Iranian people want freedom, democracy and human rights, and they realize that they cannot be free as long as the Islamic republic exists.

The Islamic republic is a menace to Iranians and the world. The regime has brutally violated the human rights of the Iranian people, and there are thousands of political prisoners. Many political prisoners have been in prison since the massive student demonstrations of July 1999.

Violations of human rights, lack of freedom of speech, and lack of freedom for pro-democracy political parties have caused strong resentment in millions of Iranians.

Massive corruption and gross mismanagement have seriously damaged Iran’s economy and caused great discontent especially among millions of young Iranians who are unemployed.

Unemployment among young Iranians is more than 30 percent. The annual inflation rate is more than 20 percent, while the personal income of most Iranians is stagnant, resulting in a persistent decline in the standard of living. The Iranian currency has lost 99 percent of its value since the creation of the Islamic republic, and as a result the savings of millions of Iranians have been eroded. These economic problems have resulted in millions of Iranians now living under the poverty line, and there are serious social and medical consequences.

While the Iranian people have been impoverished, the mullahs have been plundering Iran’s national wealth. Furthermore, the regime spends hundreds of millions of dollars of Iranian national wealth to support terrorists annually.

The Islamic republic is the most active sponsor of global terrorism. The regime uses terrorism as one of its policy tools, and its support of terrorism will continue as long as the regime exists. The regime’s adventurist policies, meddling in other countries, and pursuit of nuclear weapons endanger the national interests of the Iranian people.

Some people inside and outside Iran believed the claims of the leaders of the Islamic republic that the regime could be reformed. However, the brutal and repressive actions of the regime in the past few years have clearly demonstrated that freedom and democracy are not possible in the framework of the Islamic republic.

Contrary to the regime’s propaganda, the Islamic republic has never had free and democratic elections. The mullahs handpick the candidates from among the regime’s Mafia families. None of the candidates that are approved by the mullah Mafia support freedom, democracy and human rights. Furthermore, because of the convoluted and despotic nature of the regime, the power is controlled by non-elected mullahs, and the elections are used as a tool to create the perception of legitimacy for the regime.

The regime does not permit any pro-democracy candidates. All pro-democracy parties are banned by the regime. All television and radio programs are owned by the mullahs. Any publication that criticizes the leaders of the regime is closed. The regime uses intimidation methods to coerce government employees and students to participate in the rigged elections. Therefore, the regime’s so-called elections are anti-democratic and totally illegitimate.

Because of the important reasons mentioned above, we urge all democratic governments and international pro-democracy organizations and individuals to condemn the rigged and illegitimate mullah elections, and support the inalienable rights of the Iranian people to freedom and democratic elections. Iranians will remember those who support the Iranian democracy movement, and those who appease the Islamic republic and its terrorist leaders.

Tyrannies have been replaced by democracies in many countries in the past few years, and the process can be repeated in Iran. The world will be a better place without the mullah regime. We look forward to the day when Iran is liberated from the Islamic republic’s reign of terror, and Iranians enjoy freedom and democracy.

This declaration is signed by many pro-democracy Iranians, including the following prominent members of Iranian society who have a distinguished record of serving the Iranian people:

Ms. Dokhi Abdi President of Organization of Iranian Women in the United States
Mr. Hamid Abdollahi Pro-Democracy Activist
Ms. Narges Adib Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Parviz Afsari Iranian National Police Brigadier General
Dr. Amiraslan Afshar Iranian Ambassador to Britain
Dr. Keykavous Afshar Ghasemloo University Professor
Mr. Mehdi Ahmad Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Mr. Fereydoun Amirfarzaneh Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Mehdi Amirnasri Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Cyrus Amoozegar Information Minister
Dr. Iman Ansari Political Science Scholar
Mr. Jamshid Ansari Member of Board of Alliance for Democracy in Iran
Dr. Masoud Ansari University Professor
Dr. Hooshang Anvar Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Mr. Fereydoun Arabfarsi Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Abolfath Ardalan Iranian Navy Admiral
Mr. Nariman Ariaban Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Dr. Iraj Arianpour Writer
Dr. Armand Ash VP of Alliance for Democracy in Iran
Mr. Zia Atabay NITV Television CEO
Mr. Morteza Badri Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Mr. Manouchehr Baghai CEO, Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Bahman Batmanghelidj Chairman of Alliance for Democracy in Iran
Mr. Ali Bazkiaei Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Heydar Boroumand Physician, Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Hassan Ebrahimi Iranian National Police Colonel
Mr. Mehrdad Ehsanipour Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Mohsen Eskandari Brigadier General, Member of Sarbaz Organization
Mr. Ali Fargam Journalist
Ms. Parvin Ghaffari President of Organization of Disabled Iranians
Mr. Abdollah Gharegozloo Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Taghi Goltappeh Iranian National Police Colonel
Mr. Sardar Haddad Member of Board of Alliance for Democracy in Iran
Mr. Hashem Hakimi Iranian Ambassador to Sudan
Mr. Saeed Hamzavi Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Masoud Haroun Mahdavi Member of Jebhe Melli
Dr. Sasan Haroun Mahdavi Member of Jebhe Melli
Mr. Youssef Hassanzadeh Iranian National Police Colonel
Dr. Dariush Hashempour Vice President of Energy Corp.
Mr. Behrouz Hatam Governor of Masjed Soleiman
Ms. Mina Homayoun Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Aziz Hooshangi Iranian Army Colonel
Mr. Kurosh Kalhor Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Dr. Fereydoun Kasmai Writer, Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Amir Khatibi Iranian National Police Brigadier General
Mr. Ardavan Khoshnood Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Arvin Khoshnood Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Masoud Khoshnood Physician, Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Bahram Khoshnood Rashti Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Mehdi Khoshnood Rashti Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Parviz Khosravani Iranian Gendarmerie Major General
Mr. Reza Madadvand Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Parviz Mahdavi Human Rights Activist
Mr. Mohammad Reza Maher Iranian Army Colonel
Dr. Abdolmajid Majidi Minister of Economic Planning and Budget
Dr. Gholam Maleki Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Badreddin Marashi Deputy Minister of Economic Planning and Budget
Ms. Shifteh Menalagha Artist
Mr. Nasser Meymand Iranian Navy Captain
Mr. Sam Mirian CEO, Pro-Democracy Activist
Ms. Soraya Mohammadi Haghshenas Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Mohammad Mehdi Mohiti Iranian Army Colonel
Mr. Rahim Morid Member of Pan Iranist Party
Dr. Mohammad Hossein Moussavi Senator
Mr. Sohrab Nabavi Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Mr. Kiumars Naimi Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Mr. Morteza Namdar Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Mansour Naraghi University Professor
Mr. Morteza Naraghi Iranian Gendarmerie General
Dr. Assadollah Nasre Esfahani Interior Minister
Ms. Shohreh Nazar Member of Constitutional Monarchy Movement of Iran
Dr. Khosrow Panahi University Professor
Ms. Parichehr Parvahan Member of Jebhe Melli
Mr. Nasser Pol Member of Pan Iranist Party
Mr. Ahmad Pourdad Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Samad Rahmanzadeh Writer, Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Hassan Rahnavardi Governor of Yazd Province
Mr. Hassan Razavi Shabahang Poet
Mr. Reza Razmi Iranian National Police Brigadier General
Mr. Mehdi Rohani Iranian Air Force Lieutenant General
Mr. Mehdi Sadeghi Iranian National Police Colonel
Ms. Bahereh Sadighian Pro-Democracy Activist
Dr. Fariborz Sadighian Pro-Democracy Activist
Ms. Vajiheh Sadighian Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Parviz Safinia Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia
Ms. Shahla Samii Writer, Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Masoud Sepand Poet
Mr. Ali Seyyedi Iranian National Police General
Mr. Amir Shadjareh Pars Television CEO
Mr. Behrouz Souresrafil Writer and Journalist
Mr. Fereydoun Tofighi Journalist
Ms. Nezhat Yahyazadeh Writer, Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Fereydoun Yazdan Ashouri Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Jahangir Yazdan Ashouri Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Mohammad Yazdan Ashouri Pro-Democracy Activist
Ms. Nahid Yazdan Ashouri Pro-Democracy Activist
Ms. Narges Yazdan Ashouri Pro-Democracy Activist
Mr. Abdolhossein Zahrai Iranian Army Colonel
Dr. Iraj Zamanian Physician, Pro-Democracy Activist
Ms. Mandana Zand Ervin Member of Board of Alliance for Democracy in Iran

There are more than 17o leaders who have signed it, still others are seeking to sign the document. For more information on this effort you may contact the them at: iranianazad2003@yahoo.com. Here is an English and Persian version.

It is important to let the media know that Iranians from a range of political views are now united in boycotting the June 17th election.