The discovery of four ballot boxes at the Shiraz Central Library site, currently under construction, revealed new evidence of widespread electoral fraud.  The ballot boxes were discovered when the governor of Fars Province in central Iran, Mohammad Reza Rezazadeh, and Friday prayer leader ayatollah Imani, were visiting the library building, accompanied by local journalists. 

Mohammad Reza Nasab Abdollahi, a blogger and journalist based in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Shiraz</st1:place></st1:city>, published photographs of the discovered ballot boxes at the Shiraz Central Library construction cite on his blog, noting that the provincial governor asked journalists who were present on the scene not to report the discovery.  He referred to the ballot boxes as "national treasures." 

Following the publication of photographs of the ballot boxes found at Shiraz Central Library's construction cite, the government's official news agency, IRNA, published an interview with the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fars</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Province</st1:placetype></st1:place> governor to explain the discovery. 

Without commenting on his orders to local journalists not to publish reports of the discovery of the four ballot boxes, the governor claimed that the ballot boxes were being kept at the library because they are "national treasures." 

Mohammad Reza Rezazadeh's remarks were published while, according to the election law, all ballot boxes must be returned to the interior ministry through local government offices after they are counted, to be eventually destroyed after the election results are validated and all the complaints have been addressed.