The United Against a Nuclear Iran Organization Strongly Condemns Upcoming 'Commemoration of the Butcher of Tehran' at the UN General Assembly

The United Against a Nuclear Iran organization issued a statement on Wednesday, June 9, condemning the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting to commemorate Ebrahim Raisi, referring to him as the 'Butcher of Tehran.' This meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday at the UN headquarters. Mark Wallace, CEO of the United Against a Nuclear Iran, stated in the announcement that no international or governmental organization should express condolences for a man whose record is stained with the blood of the Iranian people. The organization has called on the U.S. government and its allies to boycott the ceremony in protest. Omid Iravani-Pour, an advisor on human rights and LGBTQI+ issues for the organization, also remarked that the UN shows its commitment to fair treatment of the LGBTQI+ community while simultaneously honoring a man who managed the repressive institutions of the Islamic Republic. He noted that Raisi had labeled homosexuality as one of the dirtiest acts in human history and supported an anti-LGBTQI+ bill in Uganda, stating it is shameful for the UN General Assembly to honor a man with such a background. Reuters reported on Wednesday, June 9, citing an American official, that the United States will boycott the UN General Assembly's tribute to Ebrahim Raisi and the victims of the helicopter crash on June 10. According to the report, the unnamed American official emphasized that some of the worst human rights violations, particularly against women and girls in Iran, occurred during Raisi's presidency. He confirmed that U.S. representatives would 'not at all' participate in this UN event scheduled for Thursday, June 10. The UN General Assembly, consisting of 193 members, traditionally convenes to pay tribute to leaders who were heads of state at the time of their death, with speeches made about the deceased leader. A minute of silence by the UN Security Council in memory of the victims of the helicopter crash involving Islamic Republic leaders on June 1 faced widespread protests from Iranians and political figures from other countries, especially during the presence of the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN and the UN Secretary-General at the Islamic Republic's office, where he paid tribute to Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The Biden administration faced severe criticism from some Republican members of Congress for expressing condolences to Iran for the death of Ebrahim Raisi and his companions. These Republicans labeled Raisi as the 'Butcher of Tehran' and deemed the U.S. government's condolence message inappropriate, while National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described the message as a customary action, adding that 'Raisi was undoubtedly a man whose hands were stained with the blood of many Iranians.' Ebrahim Raisi, the president of the thirteenth government of the Islamic Republic, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, his foreign minister, the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz, and several others were killed in a helicopter crash in the Dizmar forest in East Azerbaijan province on May 19. The article also highlights social media users' evaluations regarding the circumstances of the deaths of Ebrahim Raisi and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, with Mansour Arzi, a government-affiliated eulogist, stating, 'We did not allow Raisi's family to see his body.' The article further notes the ongoing controversies surrounding the death of Raisi, the U.S. decision to boycott the UN tribute, and protests from hundreds of activists against the commemoration of Raisi at the UN, questioning if Hitler would also receive a tribute if he had died. The U.S. expressed concern over violence from supporters of the Islamic Republic against protesters outside Iran, and a UN truth-finding committee stated that Raisi's death should not lead to forgetting human rights violations in Iran. Additionally, there were claims of a '12 million farewell' and criticism of the commemoration of Raisi at the UN, noting that Gaddafi and Saddam did not receive such tributes.