In commenting on Zahra Shojaei’s nomination for President, lawyer and Presidential advisor Shahindokht Molaverdi wrote on Instagram: “Unfortunately, in 1400 (2021), in the 21st century, we still see that being a man is considered a criterion for being human”. Molaverdi added that “the registration of Zahra Shojaei is a serious test for the Guardian Council; she is a political and religious figure (shakhsiyat-e siasi va mazhabi). Let women be among political people (rejal-e-siasi) andmen so that they can enjoy their most basic human right, which is the right to be elected”.

Read more at IMNA.

High profile female reformist candidate Zahra Shojaei said that there is no reason for her to be disqualified by the Guardian Council, and if she is not among the approved candidates on May 27, she will appeal for an explanation. Shojaei added that upon her registration, she was treated differently from other candidates and moved away from the live broadcast, adding that if she hadn’t protested to the Ministry of Interior, she believes that she would not have had the opportunity to speak to reporters at all. Shojaei added that if she is approved, and the Reform Front asks her to stand aside for a consensus candidate, she will comply with their decision. 

Read more at Borna

Senior female Reformist politician, Zahra Shojaei, became the most high-profile woman to register in this election. Shojaei gave her reasons for registering as an effort towards the fulfilment of Ayatollah Khomeini’s words that “women should intervene in the basic destiny of the country”. Shojaei also registered at the same time as Saeed Jalili, and it was noted that unlike Jalili, she arrived modestly and without entourage or fanfare. Shojaei candidacy is another test of the Guardian Council’s interpretation of the Constitutional term “rajol-e siasi (politican man/person)”, and whether women will again be excluded from running.

Read the full report of Shojaei’s speech at Shafaqna

For Khatami advisor Zahra Shojaei today announced that she will nominate for the election, but that she expects she will stand down before election day in favour of a preferred Reformist candidate. Shojaei was one of two women endorsed by the Reform Front when they announced their official list on Sunday.

Read more on Tasnim

The Reform Front released an initial list of 13 candidates that they will endorse in this election (in order): Mohammad-Javad Zarif; Eshaq Jahangiri; Mostafa Tajzadeh; Masoud Pezeshkian; Mohammad-Reza Aref; Mohsen Hashemi; Mohammad Shariatmadari; Mostafa Kavakebian; Mahmoud Sadeghi; Zahra Shojaei; Shahindokht Molaverdi; Abbas Akhundi; and Sadegh Kharazi. Among the names are two women (Shojaei and Molaverdi) and three members of the Rouhani administration not associated with the Reform movement (Zarif, Jahangiri and Molaverdi). Already, the list has run into trouble. In addition to Zarif’s ongoing problems, Abbas Akhundi was named as a defendant in an indictment for a corruption trial, the news of which was published 30 minutes before the release of the Reform Front’s candidate list.

Read more at Borna
Read about Abbas Akhundi’s indictment at Tasnim