Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, known for brutal crackdowns on political opposition, dies at 63

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, known for imposing brutal crackdowns on political opposition and seen as a potential successor to the supreme leader, died in a helicopter crash that landed in the north of the country, state media reported on Monday. He was 63 years old.

Raisi, a hard-line conservative cleric, took office in August 2021 after several popular candidates were disqualified in elections, which saw historically low turnout. He wore a black turban, a symbol of those who are descendants of the prophet Muhammad.

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His tenure included cracking down on mass protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, enforcing a strict dress code for women, increasing uranium enrichment after the US withdrew from a deal historic nuclear weapons and increased military tensions with Israel and the West, as the regime supported Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Raisi was sometimes referred to as the “Butcher of Tehran,” as activists accused him of being one of four judges who oversaw the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, following the Iran-Iraq war. Iran never acknowledged what was described as a massacre of a estimated at 2,800 to 5,000 peopleaccording to Human Rights Watch.

“As deputy prosecutor general of Tehran,” the US Treasury Department said in a 2019 sanctions announcement: “Raisi participated in a so-called ‘death commission’ that ordered the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.”

In 2021, when Raisi was asked about his alleged involvement in the 1988 mass executions during his first press conference as president-elect, he described himself as a “human rights defender”.

State media reported on Monday morning that rescuers found “no signs of life” in the wreckage of the helicopter that made a “forced landing” on Sunday. Search and rescue teams sent to the scene took hours to reach the crash site, delayed by heavy fog and bad weather.

Two helicopters traveling with Raisi arrived at their destination unharmed.

Although state news broadcast prayers for Raisi and others after the accident, he is despised by many Iranians in the country and around the world for the government’s brutal crackdown on women-led protests in the country in 2021 and Iran’s dire economic situation.

In 2017 he lost the presidential elections to Hassan Rouhani who was elected to a second term by a wide margin. Rouhani, who had promised to reduce Iran’s diplomatic and economic isolation, was banned this year by Iran for running for the Assembly of Experts, which appoints and can dismiss the supreme leader, Reuters reported.

In 2021, Secretary General of Amnesty International, Agnès Callamard called for an investigation of Raisi for his alleged “crimes against humanity” while he was head of the judiciary.

Under Raisi’s watch, Callamard said, Iranian authorities killed hundreds of people with impunity, “subjecting thousands of protesters to mass arrests and at least hundreds to enforced disappearances, as well as torture and other ill-treatment during and after the protests. National level”.

“Ebrahim Raisi’s ascension to the presidency follows an electoral process that was conducted in a highly repressive environment and prohibited women, members of religious minorities and candidates with opposing views from running for public office,” said Callamard.

In 2022, the United Nations human rights office opened an investigation into the violent repression of protesters who took to the streets after Amini’s murder. She died after the moral police detained her for allegedly not wearing the hijab properly and not following the dress code.

The UN said in March that a fact-finding mission found Iran responsible for the “physical violence” that killed Amini, despite Iranian authorities claiming otherwise.

Raisi told NBC News’ Lester Holt last year that Amini’s death was “one incident,” claiming that similar “incidents” frequently occur in Western states. He claimed that Iran’s leadership “tolerated” the protests despite widespread reports of violent repression of protesters.

“You must be assured that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been ready to listen [the] words of the protesters. On any issue, we are all ears,” he said through a government translator.

Raisi also stated that there was still “freedom of expression” in Iran and denied claims by human rights advocates that the country imposed an internet blackout following the protests. The Iranian regime is also accused of blocking social media applications, arresting journalists and punishing any public criticism of the government after Amini’s death.

He alleged that the allegations were an attempt by Western states to internally destabilize Iran.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said in January 2023 that the Iranian government was using criminal proceedings as a weapon and death penalty laws to quell dissent.

“Using criminal proceedings as a weapon to punish people for exercising their basic rights – such as those who participate in or organize demonstrations – amounts to state-sanctioned killings,” Türk said.

Despite concerns about Iran’s attacks on human rights, Raisi was allowed to speaking at the UN General Assembly last yearwhen he criticized Western states for meddling in Middle Eastern affairs.

“An independent and robust neighborhood represents an opportunity for the entire region,” he said, referring to potential regional partnerships. “We will warmly welcome any extended hand.”

Western leaders have long accused Iran of playing a destabilizing role in the Middle East through its support for proxy battles across the region.

Iran has for years supported Hamas militants in Gaza, Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen. Israel, during the ongoing war in Gaza, launched an attack in April on the Iranian consular building in Syria, killing two of Tehran’s top commanders. Iran responded by launching a wave of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones at Israel, many of which were shot down, resulting in minor injuries.

Raisi condemned Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in his UN speech in September, saying that people see Iran as a “safe partner for their own security” just weeks before Hamas launched its attack on Israel on 7 September. October. The group took more than 200 hostages at the time and Israeli authorities blamed them for more than 1,200 deaths that day.

Iranian officials said they were unaware of Hamas’ plans for the attack, but have since repeatedly expressed support for the group against Israel.

Under Raisi, Iran continued to pursue a nuclear program that accelerated after President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral nuclear deal in 2018. The historic Obama-era deal curbed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from harsh sanctions. economic and diplomatic.

Iran has insisted that it is not developing nuclear weapons.

Raisi was married to Jamileh Alamolhoda and had two daughters.