Iran’s interior minister on Monday confirmed a historically low turnout in Friday’s elections of 41%.

The figure had previously been reported by media close to the government.

A total of around 25 million of the 61 million eligible voters went to the polls, Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi told journalists.

The number of invalid votes was just under 8%. The figures could not be independently verified at present.

In 2020, turnout for parliamentary elections was 42.6%.

On Friday, Iran elected a new parliament and the so-called Council of Experts, which deals with the succession of the powerful religious leader in the event of his death.

In the process, the camp of arch-conservative fundamentalists was able to expand its power.

Many people, disillusioned after failed attempts at reform in recent decades, stayed away from the polls in protest. International observers said the elections in Iran were neither free nor fair.

These were the first elections after the women-led protests in 2022 following the death of Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini in police custody.

She had been detained for allegedly wearing the religious headscarf or hijab improperly.