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Iranwire – In the lead-up to Iran’s parliamentary polls on March 1, authorities have intensified their crackdown on supporters of an election boycott.
On February 28, the police commander of West Azerbaijan province announced the arrest of 50 “social media page operators” accused of “disrupting public order and inciting non-participation in the elections.”
The police official warned that publishing “tension-inducing content” online would be considered a crime.
A young woman was also arrested in Tehran for publicly opposing participating in the elections.
The woman reportedly removed her headscarf and shouted slogans against the vote.
On March 1, voters are due to pick new members of the 290-seat legislature from among 15,200 approved candidates.
That’s more than double the number of candidates allowed to stand in the previous parliamentary elections, when voter turnout was at its lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution at just over 42 percent.
