Iran’s presidential election on June 18 was the most farcical in the history of the Islamic regime — even more so than the 2009 election, often called an “electoral coup.”

It was less an election than a chronicle of a death foretold — the death of what little remained of the constitution’s republican principles. But, in addition to being the most farcical, the election may be the Islamic Republic’s most consequential.

The winner, Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi, is credibly accused of crimes against humanity for his role in killing some 4,000 dissidents three decades ago. Amnesty International has already called for him to be investigated for these crimes.