The UN flag was lowered to half-mast on Tuesday as "a mark of respect for the passing of His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran," according to the UN website. The UN encouraged all offices and duty stations to lower their flags on this occasion, despite the president being termed "the Butcher of Tehran" until his death this week in a helicopter crash.
Video: Un lowers flag in honor of Raisi / X/@Iran_UN
Ebrahim Raisi was an Iranian conservative politician and Shia Muslim scholar who currently serves as the 8th President of Iran, assuming office in August 2021. Prior to becoming president, he served as chief justice of Iran from 2019 to 2021. Raisi is a protégé of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and is closely aligned with the ultra-conservative Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
‼️ You have to see it to believe it: today, the UN lowered its flag in honor of Iran's mass-murdering President and Foreign Minister. Unbelievable!
This is beyond disgraceful. It is an offense to true supporters of human rights worldwide.
The next time the UN issues a… pic.twitter.com/2wEaDceCzz
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) May 21, 2024
Raisi's presidency was marked by a continuation of Iran's confrontational foreign policy stance, particularly regarding the Iranian nuclear program and tensions with the West. Domestically, his administration has cracked down on dissent and protests, drawing widespread criticism from human rights groups over the violent suppression of demonstrations following Mahsa Amini's death in 2022.
"You have to see it to believe it: today, the UN lowered its flag in honor of Iran's mass-murdering President and Foreign Minister," Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said. "Unbelievable! This is beyond disgraceful. It is an offense to true supporters of human rights worldwide. The next time the UN issues a statement on human rights, remember that it is the same organization that gave the red carpet treatment to these mass-murderers in life and death."
