Amnesty International: The Death of Raisi Should Not Obliterate His Responsibility for 'Committing Crimes'

As the funeral of Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash on May 30, was held, Amnesty International stated that the former president's death should not absolve him from accountability for the 'evil legacy' of human rights abuses he left behind. In a statement on Wednesday, June 2, Amnesty International highlighted Raisi's actions during his tenure in the Iranian government and his 'human rights violations' in the 1980s, emphasizing that his death should not deprive the Iranian people of 'justice, truth, and accountability' for the numerous crimes he committed under international law. The statement noted Raisi's long-standing presence in the Islamic Republic's government since the age of 20, stating that he 'rapidly' ascended through various judicial and executive roles, eventually becoming Iran's president in 2021. According to Diana Tahavi, Deputy Regional Director of Amnesty International for the Middle East and North Africa, 'Ebrahim Raisi should have been criminally investigated for crimes against humanity while he was alive.' Tahavi specified in the statement: 'For decades, in Iran, criminals who bear legal responsibility have enjoyed systematic impunity.' Human rights activists expressed regret over Raisi's 'pre-trial death' due to 'crimes against humanity.' Tahavi asserted that the international community must now create 'pathways' to hold Raisi and other officials of the Islamic Republic accountable for their actions against human rights victims that Raisi and other Iranian officials have created. The Deputy Regional Director emphasized that governments should initiate 'criminal investigations' into Iranian officials who are reasonably suspected of 'committing crimes' under international law to ensure that survivors and victims' families witness the prosecution of perpetrators and accountability for their crimes. Amnesty International stressed that Ebrahim Raisi was directly involved in the enforced disappearances and unlawful executions of thousands of political opponents of the Islamic Republic in the 1980s, as well as unlawful killings, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and torture of thousands of protesters during his years in judicial and executive positions. The statement from this international organization also referenced his role and oversight in 'harassment and torture' and violent treatment of women and girls. Previously, several human rights organizations had expressed regret over Raisi's death before trial for 'crimes against humanity' in separate statements and positions. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organization, the Justice for Iran organization, and the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran identified him as a key figure in the Iranian regime's repression and killings based on his judicial and executive record in the field of human rights.