Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi, defying government warnings, said the Islamic republic was “plagued with despotism,” in remarks published ahead of a national celebration that could trigger more protests.
“Unfortunately the current republic is plagued with despotism and elections have become meaningless,” Karoubi, a moderate cleric and former parliament speaker, said in comments to a group of students carried on his website on Tuesday.
“This government has not been formed upon the people’s votes, and the result has been social unrest.”