The U.S. boycotted the United Nations tribute to recently deceased Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, calling into question the logic of showing respect for a man who has committed “numerous, horrific human rights abuses.”
“The United States will not attend today’s United Nations tribute event for President Raisi in any capacity,” U.S. Mission to the U.N. spokesperson Nate Evans said in a statement released Thursday.
“The U.N. should be standing with the people of Iran,” Evans said. “Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. Some of the worst human rights abuses on record took place during his tenure.”
The United Nations on Thursday commemorated Raisi following his death along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other Iranian officials aboard a helicopter that crashed in a mountainous region in the country’s northwest.
Critics blasted the organization for holding a minute of silence for a man known as the “Butcher of Tehran,” and they didn’t hold back when the organization held its customary tribute for a fallen head of state.
Secretary-General António Guterres speaks during a General Assembly tribute to the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at U.N. headquarters in New York on May 30, 2024. (Kena Bentacur/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.N. General Assembly traditionally meets to pay respects to sitting heads of state at the time of their death, according to Reuters. During the meeting, a representative from the delegation of the member state will usually make a statement while displaying a still photo of the deceased.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in prepared remarks, extended condolences to Raisi’s family and “to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran” for Raisi’s death.
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“President Raisi led Iran at a challenging time for the country, the region and globally,” Guterres said, later adding, “I wish to assure that the United Nations stands in solidarity with the Iranian people and in the quest for peace, development and fundamental freedoms.”
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Saeed Iravani, center top, receives condolences during the General Assembly tribute to the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at U.N. headquarters in New York on May 30, 2024. (Kena Bentacur/AFP via Getty Images)
“For that, the United Nations will be guided by the Charter to help realize peace and security, sustainable development and human rights for all,” Guterres added. “As the Islamic Republic of Iran mourns the death of President Raisi and his companions, I once again offer my deepest condolences to its government and people.”
Lisa Daftari, a Middle East expert and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, blasted the U.N. for taking a hypocritical stance of claiming to champion human rights while also honoring a man allegedly responsible for perpetuating terrorism.
Demonstrators gather outside U.N. headquarters to protest against the General Assembly’s tribute to the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in New York City on May 30, 2024. (Kena Bentacur/AFP via Getty Images)
“That such an individual was officially commemorated by an organization that claims to uphold human rights is perplexing, if not outright offensive,” Daftari told Fox News Digital.
“Even more troubling is that the U.N. General Assembly continues to prop up and legitimize the barbaric regime in Iran while it has yet to formally condemn the regime’s terror proxies Hamas and Hezbollah,” Daftari continued.
“This glaring hypocrisy raises serious questions about the U.N.’s commitment to justice and peace, and it undeniably undermines the credibility of the institution on the global stage.”
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died on May 19, 2024, after his helicopter went down in the country’s mountainous northwest. (Kena Bentacur/AFP via Getty Images)
Some members of the international community have not held back their criticism, such as Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who wrote in a post on X that he didn’t feel “comfortable” extending condolences to Raisi’s friends and family “while Iran is sending drones that are used against civilians in Ukraine.”
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Raisi, 63, was seen as a possible successor to Iran’s supreme leader, the 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His death now throws that selection into question, particularly as there is no heir-apparent cleric for the presidency ahead of planned June 28 elections.
Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
