According to Alireza Salimi, a member of the election’s executive committee, thousands of Iranians living abroad will cast their votes during the second round of the Presidential election, scheduled for July 5.
He said that over 100,000 Iranians living abroad cast their ballots in the first round of Iran’s presidential election on June 28.
In an interview with Iranian media, Salimi emphasized the “enthusiastic participation” of overseas Iranians as a sign of their patriotism and love for their country.
He mentioned an example of an Iranian citizen in India who drove for 24 hours to vote, according to Tehran Times.
Salimi also noted in his conversation with IRNA that in some Western countries, Iranians faced relentless harassment from anti-Iran groups outside polling stations. Reports indicate that voters were subjected to verbal, sexual, and physical abuse.
Additionally, Salimi criticized Canada for not allowing thousands of Iranian expatriates to vote, despite its claims of upholding democracy.
Iranian authorities had previously announced that over 100,000 eligible voters in Canada were denied the right to vote due to Ottawa’s decision. As a result, Iranians had to travel to two locations at Canada’s border with the United States to cast their ballots.
The election led to a runoff between Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili, the two candidates with the highest vote totals, as no candidate secured an outright majority. The runoff election is scheduled for July 5.
