Minoo Khaleghi

Minoo Khaleghi (Persian: مینو خالقی‎) is an Iranian jurist and reformist activist. In the 2016 parliamentary elections, Khaleghi won a seat, however she was disqualified by the Guardian Council after the election.

Minoo Khaleghi
Khaleghi
Member-elect of the Iranian Parliament
In office
Disqualified
Succeeded byHasan Kamran
ConstituencyIsfahan
Majority193,399 (28.8%)
Personal details
Born
Minoo Khaleghi

c. 1985 (age 35–36)
Isfahan, Iran
NationalityIranian
Alma materUniversity of Isfahan
Allameh Tabataba'i University
Islamic Azad University
OccupationJournalist, Activist
ProfessionJurist

Background

Khaleghi was born in 1985, in Isfahan. She comes from a well-known family, whose uncle –Nasser Khaleghi– served in the Cabinet of President Mohammad Khatami.[1] A graduate of University of Isfahan and Allameh Tabataba'i University in Law, she is now a PhD Candidate at Islamic Azad University's Isfahan Science and Research Branch. Her fields of expertize include public and communications law. She has been a journalist in local media and an activist in local non-governmental organizations with a focus on women's rights and environmentalism. Khaleghi is also a member of "natural resources and climate change committee", Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture—Isfahan.[2]

2016 election

Backed by the moderate–reformist List of Hope, she received the third-highest vote in Isfahan County and was elected as a member of the parliament. In an interview with the Financial Times, she said her aim is "to fight for the rights of women who head families and increase the support they get from the law".[3]

The election results were as follows:[4]

2016 Iranian legislative election
# Candidate Affiliation Votes %
1 Hamidreza Fouladgar Principlists Grand Coalition 200,69029.81
2 Nahid Tajeddin List of Hope 195,06629.05
3 Minoo Khaleghi List of Hope 193,399 28.80
4 Heidarali Abedi List of Hope 179,23026.69
5 Ahmad Salek Principlists Grand Coalition 176,80726.33
6 Alireza Ajoudani List of Hope 175,93826.20
7 Masoud Hamidi-Toghchi List of Hope 162,76724.24
8 Majid Naderolasli Principlists Grand Coalition 158,91623.66
9 Kamal Heydari Principlists Grand Coalition 145,62921.68
10 Mojtaba Khayyam-Nekouyi Principlists Grand Coalition 142,40321.20
11 Hassan Kamran-Dastjerdi Unlisted (Principlist) 131,54519.59
12 Abbas Moghtadaei-Khorasgani Unlisted (Principlist) 103,63915.43
13 Nayyereh Akhavan-Bitaraf Unlisted (Principlist) 101,69715.14
... Other Candidates<50,000<7.50
Blank or Invalid Votes63,1418.60
Total Votes734,612

Disqualification

On 20 March 2016, the last day of the Iranian calendar year, right before Nowruz, the Guardian Council ruled that Minoo Khaleghi couldn’t take her seat because her votes are “null and void”, and didn’t give a reason for ruling her out.[1] In an open letter, Khaleghi said she had not met any council members in the days prior to or following the election, and she rejected “boundless rumors” which questioned her “dignity and character” as a Muslim.[3] According to rumors quoted in multiple Iranian sources, she was disqualified because of an alleged photo of her without wearing hijab, or shaking hands with a non-mahram man.[1]

On 15 May 2016 Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, the prosecutor general of Tehran, said she has been summoned to the court to "explain about charges against her".[5]

See also

References
  1. Mehrnaz Samimi (6 April 2016). "Guardian Council to Elected MP, "No Seat For you!"". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  2. "سوابق و زندگینامه نمایندگان اصفهان در مجلس دهم". Esfahan Emrooz (in Persian). 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  3. "Top Iran Council Challenges Rouhani With Lawmaker Rejection". Bloomberg. 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  4. "آگهی نتيجه انتخابات مجلس شورای اسلامی در حوزه انتخابيه شهرستان اصفهان". Isfahan Province Government (in Persian). 29 February 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  5. "Minoo Khaleghi summoned to court". Tehran Times. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
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