Hard-liners dominate Iran parliamentary vote that saw boycott calls and apparently low turnout

By The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian hard-line politicians dominated the country’s vote for parliament, according to results released Monday. Authorities still have not released turnout figures for Friday’s vote, nor gave any reason for the delay, but turnout is suspected to be low after some polling stations in the capital, Tehran, saw few voters. It remains unclear if turnout was depressed by voter apathy or an active desire to send a message to Iran’s theocracy, though some in the country pushed for a boycott, including imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. The vote also was the first since the 2022 mass protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, killed after being arrested by police over allegedly not wearing her required hijab to the liking of authorities.