The United States (U.S.) boycotted Thursday’s United Nations (UN) tribute to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for his “involvement in numerous horrific human rights violations,” adding that the UN should instead stand with the Iranian people.
Raisi, a hardliner seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an accident in which his helicopter crashed in bad weather in the mountains near the Azerbaijan border on May 19th.
The 193-member UN General Assembly traditionally meets to honor any world leader in office at the time of their death. Speeches were made by countries and regional groups during the 50-minute tribute to Raisi.
“The U.S. will not be attending today’s event honoring President Raisi in any capacity,” said Nate Evans, a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the UN, yesterday.
“Raisi was involved in numerous horrific cases of human rights violations, including the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988,” he said.
As a young prosecutor in Tehran in 1988, Raisi sat on a panel that oversaw the execution of hundreds of political prisoners in the Iranian capital as Iran’s eight-year war with Iraq drew to a close, rights groups say.
“During his tenure, some of the worst human rights abuses on record took place,” Evans claimed.
Iran’s UN mission in New York declined to comment on the U.S.boycott of the tribute to Raisi.
In a brief statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly that Raisi led Iran at a time of many challenges for the country, as well as the region and the world.
“The UN stands in solidarity with the Iranian people in their quest for peace, development and fundamental freedoms,” Guterres said.
Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Seid Iravani referred to the “profound influence” of Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdolahian, who was killed along with Raisi.
“They were not only authorities, but also a symbol of hope, resilience and the lasting power of good governance and diplomacy,” Iravani said in the General Assembly.
“We remain committed to maintaining the principles of peace, security, justice and multilateralism that they tirelessly supported.”
Elections for the president to replace Raisi are scheduled for June 28th, N1 writes.
E.Dz.
