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UPDATE: 11:00 PM
UN Tribute To Iran’s Late President Raisi Marred By Protests And European And US Snubs
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly’s tribute to Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi was snubbed by Western and East European nations on Thursday amid protests against honoring a leader who was reviled for his crackdown on opponents.
The assembly’s tribute was no surprise. It is a longstanding practice that the 193-member world body holds a plenary meeting to pay tribute to the memory of a sitting head of state who dies, where all U.N. regional groups send representatives to speak about their life and legacy. And there were some warm tributes to Raisi, especially from African nations.
“The United States will not attend today’s United Nations tribute event for President Raisi in any capacity,” Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the U.N. 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.”
While the tribute was taking place in the assembly chamber, more than 100 protesters held banners across the street from U.N. headquarters saying, “Shame on U.N. holding memorial for Raisi, Butcher of Tehran,” and chanting similar words.
UPDATE: 8:00 AM
Houthi Rebels Say at Least 16 Killed and 42 Others Wounded in Joint US-British Airstrikes in Yemen
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Joint British-U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed at least 16 people and wounded 42 others, the rebels said Friday, the highest publicly acknowledged death toll from the multiple rounds of strikes carried out over the rebels’ attacks on shipping.
Three U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe a then-ongoing attack, described the strikes Thursday as hitting a wide range of underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel, and other facilities. They called it a response to a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets involved in the strikes took off from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, officials said. Other U.S. warships in the region also participated.
How Raisi’s UN Memorial Turned into A Disgrace for Iran’s Regime
After news broke that the United Nations would hold a ceremony for Ebrahim Raisi, the “Butcher of 1988” on Thursday, May 30, a flood of protest messages from around the world was unleashed against this shameful act. On this day, supporters of the Iranian Resistance and freedom-loving Iranians abroad gathered in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York and set up an exhibition of images of the fallen martyrs, expressing the anger and hatred of all Iranians against this disgraceful program.
Freedom-loving Iranians raised placards and banners displaying 43 years of the regime’s crimes, especially those of the “Butcher of 1988,” and with slogans of “Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame on this deal!” echoed the voices of millions of Iranians and the bereaved families of the martyrs in the streets of New York.
Iran’s Regime Tries Futilely to Contain Its Crises after The Death of Its President
After all the arguments and debates that erupted following the parliamentary election show on March 1, over the position of its chairmanship, with many new regime figures speaking out and criticizing Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the current Majlis (Parliament) Speaker, finally, on May 28, after a sham parliamentary vote, Ghalibaf was declared as the Speaker of the regime’s parliament for another year with 198 votes.
A day earlier, in a message read by his office chief to the new regime members of Majlis, regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei reminded them of an “important point” and said: “Do not waste the short duration of your term with useless media competitions and harmful political disputes in the Majlis, otherwise the valuable capacity of the representatives in this high position will be wasted, and this would be a great loss.”
The Crises Awaiting Iran’s Regime in The Months to Come
As days passed since the death of Iranian regime president Ebrahim Raisi, it has become undeniably clear that it was a “major strategic blow” for the regime. Re-emphasizing this point can clarify many assessments regarding the state and characteristics of religious fascism in the post-Raisi era. We had previously written that Raisi, with his infamous record of crimes and killings, was not just a person for regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei; he represented a line—the line known in government parlance as “purification.” Under Khamenei’s leadership, the regime concluded that to confront the successive uprisings of the Iranian people, the most loyal and brutal elements must be placed in key positions. It was with this policy that Khamenei elevated the most notorious executioner of his regime and installed him as president. He paid a hefty price for this, having to remove many of his old pawns. Therefore, replacing Raisi is not a simple task for the regime.
May 2024 Report: Record of Ebrahim Raisi, Rising Executions of Women
In May, the regime executed at least four women before the mass-murdering president, Ebrahim Raisi, met his end in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Raisi was notorious for his role in the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988. He also oversaw the brutal crackdown on protests, which claimed the lives of 1,500 protesters in November 2019 and at least 750 in the 2022 uprising, along with tens of thousands who were detained and tortured.
Another hallmark of Raisi’s tenure was his ruthless enforcement of the mandatory hijab, resulting in a severe clampdown on Iranian women. The NCRI Women’s Committee report of May 2024 highlights these issues.
Maryam Mahmoud Abadi, 25, Held in IRGC Solitary Confinement in Kerman
Political prisoner Maryam Mahmoud Abadi is currently detained in solitary confinement at the IRGC Intelligence detention center of the Sarallah Corps in Kerman, southern Iran.
Maryam was arrested during a raid on her family’s residence in Sirjan on May 14, 2024. Her family has been threatened not to disclose her arrest to the public or the media.
Maryam Mahmoud Abadi, 25, had previously been arrested in November 2022 during the nationwide uprising for posting a story on Instagram about the death of slain protester Nika Shakarami. She was eventually temporarily released on bail.
Elaheh Fouladi Endures Severe Conditions in Evin Prison
Political prisoner Elaheh Fouladi is suffering from heart complications and a high heart rate. The prison conditions have aggravated her illness, making it physically unbearable for her to remain incarcerated.
Despite her acute physical condition, the prison authorities and judiciary have kept her in prison.
Elaheh Fouladi, born in 1978 in Khalkhal, Ardabil Province, is married and has two children. She was a final-year university student when she was arrested at the airport on January 23, 2020, along with her husband, Mr. Sattar Babaei, and taken to Evin Prison.
Iranian Regime Agents Destroy Bahá’í Farms
Reports indicate the destruction of rice fields belonging to Bahá’í families in the village of Ahmadabad, Sari County, the capital of Mazandaran Province, by regime agents. Based on videos released, a group of agents from the regime used bulldozers to destroy the rice fields and their crops on Tuesday, May 28.
More than 80 Bahá’í families in Ahmadabad, a village in the Kalijan district of Sari County, have owned agricultural land and have been farming for generations to earn their livelihood. The destruction of rice fields by the Iranian regime is cruel, constitutes economic apartheid, and aims at religious cleansing to drive Bahá’ís from their lands.
New York Protest Rally Condemns UN Memorial for Ebrahim Raisi, Mass Murderer of Iranian Youth
New York – May 30, 2024: Members of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OrgIAC) and supporters of the National Council of Resistance Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), held week-long protests in front of the UN headquarters to condemn the United Nations’ planned memorial for Ebrahim Raisi.
MEK Supporters Rally and Exhibition in Geneva to Protest UN Tribute to ‘Raisi Mass Murderer’ – May 30, 2024
Geneva – May 30, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition at Nation Square in front of the UN headquarters to commemorate the martyrs of the Iranian people’s uprising. They protested against the UN for paying tribute to Ebrahim Raisi for his role in the killing of Iranian youth.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 31, 2024