 "Why many in Iran are celebrating Ebrahim Raisi’s death")
Following the chopper crash, hundreds gathered in Tehran and Mashhad to pray for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s recovery, hoping for positive news. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed when news channels announced Raisi’s death, focusing on the tearful faces of many, especially young people.
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei announced a country-wide five-day mourning period. “This bitter tragedy took place while he was serving the people. The entire period that this great, self-sacrificing man held various responsibilities, both during his presidency and before that, he was totally dedicated to serving the people and Islam nonstop,” Khamenei posted on his official X account.
While the nation mourned the loss, a significant portion, particularly women, celebrated the news. But why?
Raisi, aged 63, was known as the “Butcher of Tehran.”
Born in Mashhad on 14 December, 1960, Raisi hailed from a family that traced its lineage back to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, as denoted by the black turban he wore. His father died when he was five, and he went on to study at the seminary in the holy city of Qom, eventually earning the title of ayatollah, a high-ranking Shiite cleric.
Raisi participated in protests against the Western-backed Shah, who was overthrown in the 1979 revolution that established the current theocratic regime under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
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Raisi, a former Iranian attorney general, was appointed by Khamenei in 2016 to head the Imam Reza charity foundation, overseeing a network of businesses and endowments in Iran. At his appointment, Khamenei praised Raisi as a “trustworthy person with high-profile experience,” leading analysts to speculate that Raisi might be groomed as a potential candidate for Iran’s third-ever supreme leader, where the real power lies.
Raisi ran for president in 2017 against the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani but lost. In 2021, he became the frontrunner after a panel led by the supreme leader disqualified other credible challengers. Raisi won with 62% of the vote in an election marked by the lowest turnout in Iranian history, with millions abstaining or voiding their ballots. Human Rights Watch called the vote a “sham”.
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View AllDespite his election victory, Raisi could not escape his controversial reputation as the “Butcher of Tehran”. During his 2016 presidential campaign, a leaked tape revealed a cleric discussing Raisi’s involvement in the mass execution of up to 5,000 political prisoners in 1988.
When questioned about his role in the so-called “death commissions,” Raisi stated that he was proud to have defended human rights and people’s security and comfort as a prosecutor. In 2019, the US imposed sanctions on Raisi for human rights violations, including his role in the executions in the 1980s.
Raisi’s anti-Western stance
On the international stage, this cleric-turned-politician took a tough stance in nuclear negotiations with Western nations and initiated an unprecedented assault on Israel. There were even suggestions that he might be the next supreme leader, the position of true power in Iran.
In a highly controlled election, the conservative figure was elected president in 2021. His presidency began as then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement, which had eased economically damaging sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
Trump’s 2018 decision, which escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran, strengthened the hardline camp led by Raisi while weakening his reformist opponents.
Despite expressing a desire to revive the nuclear agreement, Raisi’s government took a tough stance in negotiations with Western diplomats, as Iran enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels. Talks have since stalled.
In September 2021, Raisi told the United Nations that sanctions were the US’ new method of waging war on nations and that the policy of ‘maximum oppression’ was still in place, asserting Iran’s right to its demands.
Also Read: Ebrahim Raisi is dead. What happens next in Iran's politics?
These statements further escalated tensions with the West, as did Iran’s supply of Shahed attack drones to Russia for its conflict in Ukraine.
In 2023, the Israel-Hamas war erupted, with Tehran allegedly orchestrating the 7 October Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the conflict. Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon also launched attacks on Israel.
In April last year, a suspected Israeli airstrike hit an Iranian consulate in Syria, killing a top Iranian commander. Raisi was in power when Tehran retaliated with an attack on Israel.
Raisi’s crackdown on domestic dissent
Domestically, Iran faced mass protests in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Amini was arrested for allegedly not complying with Iran’s mandatory headscarf law, and her family, activists, and observers claimed she was severely beaten by the police, although the government stated she died of a heart attack.
The ensuing months of nationwide unrest posed a significant challenge to Iran’s rulers, leading to a fierce crackdown by authorities, resulting in the deaths of over 500 people and the detention of about 22,000 others.
Also Read: How Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi became infamous as ‘The Butcher of Tehran’
The regime then initiated a new crackdown on women’s dress codes, which Amnesty International described as a “war on women”.
Raisi: a staunch supporter of Sharia law
Raisi strongly advocated for sex segregation and supported the idea that women could work better in a completely separate and suitable environment, as mentioned in a 2014 interview regarding a planned segregation in Tehran Municipality.
Raisi also favoured the Islamisation of universities, the revision of the Internet, and the censorship of Western culture. He viewed economic sanctions as an opportunity and expressed the belief that if the government performs well, the people will benefit.
Regarding law enforcement, Raisi proposed guidance patrols, particularly for managers. He also defended the amputation of thieves’ hands, a practice based on a strict interpretation of Sharia law, stating that such punishments were a matter of pride and would continue in the future.
In November 2019, Raisi was one of nine Iranian officials sanctioned by the United States Department of State for alleged human rights abuses.
He was subjected to sanctions by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control under Executive Order 13876. International human rights organisations and United Nations special rapporteurs accused him of crimes against humanity.
A formal request was made to arrest Raisi for crimes against humanity if he attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland.
How did a few Iranians celebrate Raisi’s death?
Shortly before the confirmation of Raisi’s death by state media, videos began circulating on social media showing celebratory fireworks, including one from Amini’s hometown of Saqqez. Iranians from both inside and outside the country shared posts reminding the world of Raisi’s harsh presidency and his suppression of political dissidents.
On social media, activists like Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American author and women’s rights advocate living in New York City, are expressing joy at Raisi’s demise.
“I think this is the only crash in history where everyone is worried if someone survived.”
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 19, 2024
“Happy World Helicopter Day!”
Iranian social media is flooded with jokes about Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash. This is how oppressed people fight back through humor.
Another video features the daughters of anti-regime protester Minoo Majidi, 62, raising a toast to news of the helicopter crash. Majidi was one of the hundreds killed while protesting against Amini’s death; her daughter Roya Piraei previously informed the BBC that she was shot 167 times by security forces.
هلیکوپتر
— Mahsa Piraei مهسا پیرایی (@mahsa_piraei) May 19, 2024
هلیکوپتر
🍻🚁 pic.twitter.com/4ob9LPIZaI
One video circulating online purportedly shows people celebrating while watching live news and “waiting for the final confirmation of Raisi’s death”.
Iranians inside Iran are celebrating while watching live news on TV.
— 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) May 19, 2024
Everyone waiting for the final confirmation that Raisi is dead.
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/j9vkv0tCi3
Fireworks were also reportedly set off across Iran as opponents of the clerical regime celebrated news of Raisi and the foreign minister’s crash.
Public mourning in Iran. pic.twitter.com/N4NdypQ7xd
— Netanel Worthy - נתנאל וורתי (@NetanelWorthy) May 20, 2024
In a video posted before his death was officially confirmed, Mersedeh Shahinkar, a woman who was partially blinded by Iranian security forces during protests against Amini’s death, stated that she was celebrating.
ما بر سر گور کثیف و نجستتان آزادانه میرقصیم و جشن میگیریم#زن_زندگی_ازادی@simamoradb51053 pic.twitter.com/RnHP9Ht8ir
— MersedeH_eye (@mersedeh_eye) May 19, 2024
She was joined by Sima Moradbeigi, who lost mobility in her right arm after reportedly being shot during a women’s rights demonstration.
Also Read | Ebrahim Raisi: The hardline religious cleric's problematic stint as Iran's president
With inputs from agencies
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