In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev in Tehran, Iran. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Parliamentary elections in Iran last week are widely believed to have been rigged by hardliners.

The term “democracy” should be used loosely when referring to Iranian elections. The Islamic Republic bans candidates it doesn’t approve of.

According to Newsweek, 99% of the modernist candidates were rejected by the Guardian Council, a body of 12 of the most radical Islamist legislators.

This year’s elections were “elections” in name only.

Don’t miss this video to see how the people of one of the most powerful nations in the world continue to be subjected to totalitarian rule.