UNITED NATIONS — The UN General Assembly’s tribute to Iran’s late president Ebrahim Raisi was rejected by western and eastern European countries on Thursday, amid protests against honoring a leader reviled for his crackdown on opponents .
The meeting’s tribute was no surprise. It is a long-standing practice for the 193-member world body to hold a plenary meeting to pay tribute to the memory of a sitting head of state who dies, with all U.N. regional groups sending representatives to speak about their lives and legacies. And there were some warm tributes to Raisi, especially from African countries.
But what happened on Thursday, which was highly unusual, was that only representatives of the regional groups in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean spoke. There were no comments from the Western European or Eastern European groups, or from the United States, which normally speaks last and represents the host country.
“The United States will not attend the United Nations tribute to President Raisi in any capacity,” said Nate Evans, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the UN. “Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights violations, including the extrajudicial execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. Some of the worst human rights violations ever recorded took place during his time in office.”
“The UN must stand with the Iranian people,” Evans said in a statement.
As the tribute took place in the meeting room, more than a hundred demonstrators across the street from the UN headquarters held banners that read: “Shame on the UN holding a memorial for Raisi, Butcher of Tehran,” and chanted similar words .
Before the meeting convened, 45 current and former UN officials, experts, ambassadors and judges sent a joint letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres protesting the tribute to an individual involved in mass atrocities.
Raisi, 63, a powerful figure in Iran’s authoritarian Islamist government, was killed in a helicopter crash on May 20, along with the country’s foreign minister and six others.
He was long considered a potential successor to Iran’s supreme leader, 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in whose hands ultimate power rests, but was vilified by opponents and sanctioned by the US for his role in the mass executions of political prisoners. at the end of Iran’s long war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Many also hold Raisi responsible for the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in September 2022 after being detained for allegedly violating Iran’s mandatory headscarf law. Amini’s death sparked mass protests against the country’s ruling theocracy and a security crackdown that killed more than 500 people and arrested more than 22,000.
On Thursday, General Assembly President Dennis Francis opened the meeting and offered “deepest condolences to the government and people of Iran.”
Throughout his career, Francis said, “President Raisi has played an important role in Iranian society and government – and as president has led his country’s contribution to shaping the principles of our multilateral system and international cooperation.”
Secretary-General Guterres then spoke, also offering condolences and saying Raisi “led Iran at a challenging time for the country, the region and the rest of the world” – but skipped paying tribute.
Guterres assured the Iranian people that the United Nations supports them “and in the quest for peace, development and fundamental freedoms.”
He was followed by Burundian Ambassador Zéphyrin Maniratanga, who spoke on behalf of African countries and praised Raisi as a “distinguished leader who dedicated his life to serving his country and promoting international cooperation, especially with African countries.”
“The late President Raisi was a visionary leader whose commitment to the principles of equality, fraternity, solidarity and multilateralism was clearly reflected during his term in office,” he said, citing Iran’s extensive trade, education and healthcare services in Africa.
Vanuatu diplomat Marjorie Wells, speaking on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group, spoke next, calling Raisi’s death a “heartbreaking loss”, saying he served the Iranian people “with great dedication and passion” and “worked tirelessly to achieve growth , justice and progress. ”
Haiti’s U.N. Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue called Raisi’s death “a great loss” for Iran, speaking on behalf of the Latin America and Caribbean group. Talking about his career, he said that “he has dedicated his life to the service of his country.”
The Western and Eastern European countries and the US should have followed suit. Instead, Assembly Speaker Francis then gave the floor to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement to which Iran belongs, for tributes praising Raisi.
The final speaker of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Iranian rival Saudi Arabia, said Raisi served his country and offered condolences to the Iranian people and leaders, saying: “We belong to Allah and to Him we will we return.”
