May 29, 2024
The “Victims’ Families for Transitional Justice” vehemently condemns the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for planning a tribute to honor the Islamic Regime of Iran President Ebrahim Raisi, who recently died in a helicopter crash along with other officials. This decision is a grave insult to the countless victims of Raisi’s brutal regime and undermines the principles of justice and human rights that the UN is supposed to uphold.
Ebrahim Raisi, known as the “Butcher of Tehran,” was a hard-liner and protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His involvement in the 1988 massacre of more than 5,000 political prisoners and his role in the brutal suppression of dissent during his presidency are well-documented. As head of the Iranian judiciary, Raisi oversaw a severe crackdown on human rights, with hundreds of peaceful dissidents, human rights defenders, and persecuted minority groups arbitrarily detained. His tenure was marked by granting impunity to government officials and security forces responsible for killing hundreds of protesters and subjecting thousands to mass arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and other ill-treatment.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has reported widespread violations of human rights in Iran for years. During the 1980s, Raisi served on a “Death Committee” that oversaw the execution of at least five thousand Iranian political prisoners. His presidency saw continued human rights abuses, including the violent crackdown on the Woman-Life-Freedom movement, resulting in the arrest of over 20,000 protesters and the killing of more than 500 individuals, including children.
In March, a UN fact-finding mission determined that the Iranian regime had committed crimes against humanity in its crackdown on 2022 protests, which included killings, imprisonment, torture, and sexual violence. The UN Human Rights Council established the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in November 2022, two months after the Woman, Life, Freedom protests swept the country following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody, during which over 550 protesters were killed and thousands were detained.
Despite these atrocities, the UN plans to honor Raisi, a move that has sparked immediate and harsh criticism among Iranians and others. Offering condolences to such a regime implicitly legitimizes its actions, which include suppressing dissent, supporting terrorism, and committing ongoing human rights violations.
The Islamic Republic’s record is too tarnished and disgraceful for its officials to be honored in a venue that upholds principles of justice, fairness, and conscience. We, the Victim’s Families for Transitional Justice, demand that the UN immediately cancel the tribute to Raisi. Instead, the international community must focus on holding the Iranian regime accountable for its crimes and supporting the victims and their families in their quest for justice.
Victims’ Families for Transitional Justice
May 26, 2024
