A Plane Crash Kills Iran's President Raisi and Minister Abdullahian: A Review of Their Crimes and Human Rights Violations
Ebrahim Raisi, the prior president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who died in an unclear aviation incident along with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials, had a long history within the judicial system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After his appointment as president, Raisi continued to commit widespread human rights violations. His background, particularly in the late 1980s, includes documented involvement in the so-called "death committees" and participation in the mass executions of political prisoners. These actions are widely considered crimes against humanity and have been repeatedly condemned by the international community and human rights organizations.
Ebrahim Raisi, along with Morteza Eshraghi, Hossein Ali Nayyeri, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, and Esmail Shuoshtari, was a member of the committee known among prisoners and survivors of the bloody massacre of the summer of 1988 as the "death committee." This committee sentenced prisoners, mostly leftists, Mujahedeen, and Kurds, to death in brief tribunals based on a set of totally irritable questions such as: Are you Muslim? Do you pray in your daily life? Do you feel remorseful?
During the massacre of the summer of 1988, thousands of prisoners, many of whom had already served their sentences, were executed in mass hangings or shootings on the direct order of Khomeini, just before the end of the Iran-Iraq war.
Furthermore, during Ebrahim Raisi's presidency, various forms of suppression, state killings, and executions significantly intensified, prompting severe concerns among human rights advocates about the human rights state in Iran.
During Raisi's presidency and the onset of the "Woman, Life, Freedom(Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) movement, hundreds of individuals were killed in arbitrarily performed violence, thousands were arrested, and many were forcibly disappeared. Afterward, daily violence against women and their rights in the streets of Iran heightened. Raisi also played a major role in suppressing the protests in November 2019, and during his career as head of the judiciary, the number of executions in Iran noticeably increased. These actions are clear examples of violations of international laws and fundamental human rights.
Under Raisi's presidency, the political and social climate in Iran became significantly more repressive. Journalists, human rights activists, and political dissidents faced intense pressure; many were arrested or sentenced to long prison terms.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the prior Foreign Minister, was a former member of the IRGC's Quds Force and was involved in the killings of people in Syria and Iraq. Amir-Abdollahian told reporters that no protestor had been killed or arrested in response to their inquiry regarding the killing of nearly 500 protesters during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, reflecting the sentiments of the people, especially the grieving families, asserts that the best possible outcome would be for the members of these "death committees" and the orchestrators of the Islamic Republic of Iran's extensive crimes to be held accountable in courts for crimes against humanity. Hengaw urges international human rights organizations and civil society to remain diligent in recording and documenting the various dimensions of these crimes, whether committed by living or deceased autocrats. Undoubtedly, the classification and documentation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's crimes are integral to the pursuit of justice, facilitating litigation in the context of transitional justice, and ensuring a commitment to future generations.
