Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, known for his brutal crackdown on opposition groups and seen as a potential successor to the country’s supreme leader, died in a helicopter crash landing in the country’s north, state media reported on Monday. Ta. He was 63 years old.
Raisi, a hard-line conservative cleric, took office in August 2021 after several popular candidates were disqualified in an election with historically low turnout. He wore a black turban, symbolizing his descent from the Prophet Muhammad.
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His tenure included cracking down on mass protests after the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, enforcing strict dress codes for women, and helping the U.S. emerge from the landmark nuclear deal. These included stepping up uranium enrichment after the withdrawal and increasing military tensions with Israel. During his administration, Western powers supported Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Raisi has been accused by activists of being one of four judges who oversaw the mass executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 after the Iran-Iraq war, and has been dubbed the “Butcher of Tehran.” Sometimes it happened. According to Human Rights Watch, Iran has never acknowledged the alleged massacre of an estimated 2,800 to 5,000 people.
In announcing sanctions in 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department said: “As Tehran’s deputy prosecutor general, Mr. Raisi participated in the so-called ‘death penalty commission’ that ordered the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.” said.
In 2021, Raisi described himself as a “human rights defender” when asked about his alleged involvement in the 1988 mass executions at his first press conference as president-elect.
State media reported early Monday that rescuers had found no “signs of life” in the wreckage of the helicopter that “crash-landed” on Sunday. Search and rescue teams at the scene took several hours to reach the crash site, delayed by heavy fog and bad weather.
Raisi was returning with a government delegation that attended the inauguration of a dam on the border with Azerbaijan.
The two helicopters traveling with Raisi arrived at their destination unharmed.
After the crash, state news broadcast prayers for Raisi and others, but Raisi was criticized by many at home and abroad, citing the government’s brutal crackdown on women-led protests in 2022 and Iran’s dire economic situation. He is despised by Iranians.
In the 2017 presidential election, he lost by a wide margin to Hassan Rouhani, who was elected to a second term. According to Reuters, President Rouhani ran for office on a promise to ease Iran’s diplomatic and economic isolation, but was barred by Iran this year from running for the Council of Experts, which can appoint and dismiss the country’s supreme leader. .
In 2021, Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard called for an investigation into Raisi’s alleged “crimes against humanity” while he was attorney general.
Callamard said that under Raisi’s watch, Iranian authorities killed hundreds of people with impunity and “made mass arrests of thousands of protesters during and in the aftermath of nationwide protests.” , and subjected at least hundreds of people to forced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment.”
“Ebrahim Raisi’s ascension to the presidency followed an electoral process that took place in extremely repressive conditions, where women, members of religious minorities, and candidates with opposing views were barred from running.” Callamard said.
In 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Office launched an investigation into the violent crackdown on protesters who took to the streets after Amini’s murder. She died after being detained by the morality police on suspicion of not wearing the hijab properly and not complying with the dress code.
In March, the United Nations announced that despite statements from Iranian officials, a fact-finding mission had found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that killed Amini.
Raisi told NBC News’ Lester Holt last year that Amini’s death was an “incident” and claimed similar “incidents” occur frequently in Western states. He claimed that Iran’s leadership had “condoned” the protests despite widespread reports of violent crackdowns on demonstrators.
“Please be assured that the Islamic Republic of Iran is always ready to listen to your views. [the] Words from protesters. No matter the issue, we listen to everyone,” he said through a government interpreter.
Raisi also insisted that “freedom of speech” still existed in Iran, denying claims by human rights activists that the country had implemented an internet blackout after the protests. The Iranian regime has also been accused of blocking social media apps, arresting journalists and punishing public criticism of the government since Amini’s death.
He claimed that the allegations were an attempt by Western countries to destabilize Iran.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in January 2023 that the Iranian government is weaponizing criminal procedure and death penalty laws to stamp out dissent.
“Weaponizing the criminal process to punish people for exercising their fundamental rights, such as those participating in or organizing demonstrations, is tantamount to state-sanctioned murder,” Türk said.
Despite concerns about Iran’s human rights attacks, Raisi was allowed to speak at the United Nations General Assembly last year, criticizing Western interference in Middle East affairs.
“Strong, independent neighborhoods create opportunities for the entire region,” he said, referring to the potential for regional partnerships. “We welcome your extended hand.”
Western leaders have long accused Iran of contributing to destabilization in the Middle East by supporting proxy wars across the region.
Iran has long supported Hamas militants in Gaza, Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen. In April, Israel launched an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria during the ongoing war in Gaza, killing two top Iranian government commanders. Iran fired back at Israel with a series of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones, many of which were shot down and resulted in minor injuries.
Raisi condemned Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory in a speech to the United Nations in September, and weeks before Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, people called Iran a “safe partner for their own security.” He said that he considers it to be. The group took more than 200 hostages at the time, and Israeli authorities blame the group for more than 1,200 deaths that day.
Iranian officials said they were not aware of Hamas’ plans for the attack, but have since repeatedly expressed Hamas’ support for Israel.
Under Raisi, Iran continued to pursue its nuclear program, which accelerated after President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral nuclear deal in 2018. The landmark Obama-era deal curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from harsh economic and diplomatic sanctions.
Iran insists it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
Raisi was married to Jamile Alamolhoda and they had two daughters.
