NCRI – Tehran Governor Isa Farhadi will put 99 paramilitary Bassij battalions on alert to crush any protests ahead of the forthcoming Iranian regime’s presidential election.
Schools and universities had also been ordered to finish their exams by June 10 and must remain closed up to and during the election beginning June 14.
The measures come amid fears among of the ruling mullahs of demonstrations against the regime similar to the mass street protests of 2009, which were brutally crushed by security forces.
Farhadi said: “99 Bassij battalions and 15,000 members of the State Security Forces will be providing security at the upcoming elections. Moreover, there will be two police brigades staying on alert in case of any emergency situation.”
He insisted there would be no repeat of the events of 2009, but added: “There will definitely be some uncertainty in the upcoming elections.
“The 2009 elections in Iran led to widespread protests, with many people being arrested. It was too costly. To prevent the same scenario from happening again, the security measures must be strengthened.”
The clampdown also comes amid mounting fears of protests during this month’s Fire Festival.
The country’s state-run media has already reported the seizure of millions of tons of firecrackers and explosives, and the SSF have openly revealed the threat they see the event poses.
Senior regime cleric Mahdavi Kermani has called on parliament to clamp down on the, telling MPs in January: “The issue of fire festival and its negative consequences continues to exist in the country. You can act to uproot this issue.”
