A parliamentary member’s report further highlighted public discontent, pointing to the low voter turnout in the last presidential elections as a significant indicator of opposition to the regime.
Grim Human Rights Record
The regime’s oppressive measures are evident in its human rights abuses. Last year, over 1,000 executions were carried out in 86 of Iran’s prisons, including 34 women and 7 juvenile offenders executed after turning 18. Among these were 119 Baluchis, highlighting the regime’s targeting of marginalized ethnic groups.
Since 2018 many women have been imprisoned for failing to wear a hijab. Hijabs are head coverings that required by law to be worn in public by Muslim women.
Sabti believes recent developments have given Iranians a glimmer of hope. Key incidents, such as the reported elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and “the fall of Gaza,” have exposed the regime’s vulnerabilities.
“All of this gives the Iranian public—80% of whom oppose the regime—hope,” he emphasized.
