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The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has triggered a mix of official condolences contrasted with backlash from critics around the globe who see the condolences as approval of Raisi’s legacy as the 'Butcher of Tehran'.
Many European leaders and officials have voiced strong dissent against the European Council’s condolences. Geert Wilders, a well-known far-right leader from the Netherlands, vehemently rejected EU sentiments of sorrow, declaring them unrepresentative of their views and launching the hashtag "not in my name" on the social network X.
Wilders further criticized the current Iranian regime, expressing hope for a secular future for Iran free from what he describes as an "oppressive and barbaric Islamic mullah regime.”
President of the European Council, Charles Michel had released a statement saying "the EU expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident. Our thoughts go to the families.”
Wilders' statements rejecting the condolences have resonated across social media, garnering support from other European politicians like Charlie Weimers, Benjamin Haddad, David Lega, Nathalie Goulet, and Theo Francken, all of whom have publicly criticized the act of consoling Raisi’s death.
Critics argue that extending condolences to such a regime implicitly legitimizes its actions, which include suppression of dissent, support for terrorism, and ongoing human rights violations. At the age of 25 in 1984, Raisi became the deputy head of the Revolutionary Court, and by 1988, as deputy prosecutor of Tehran, he was part of the Death Committee, which oversaw the mass execution of thousands between August and September of that year.
French Parliament representative Benjamin Haddad openly questioned the appropriateness of mourning a regime that "hangs its freedom-loving young people, attacks its neighbors, produces drones that kill Ukrainian civilians, and supports terrorism."
Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament and a critic of the Islamic Republic, told the people of Iran that Michel issued the condolence message in his personal capacity, not on behalf of Europe.
Amidst the international reactions, figures like Sergio Mattarella, the President of Italy, and Xi Jinping, President of China, also shared their condolences, with Xi calling the loss "a great tragedy for the people of Iran" and claiming "the people of China have lost a good friend." The sentiment faced criticism on Chinese social networks, with some users calling the crash "the best gift for Iranian women," reflecting the deep divisions in public opinion regarding Raisi’s rule.
The response from media outlets has been equally sharp, with the Australian Financial Review branding Raisi as an “executioner,” referring to his alleged role in mass executions and crackdowns during his time in power, well over 500 last year alone in a record wave of executions.
Iran's neighbors have been more sympathetic to the news. Pakistan declared a national day of mourning, a move that drew varied responses domestically and internationally. Similarly, leaders from Syria and Lebanon announced official mourning periods, underscoring the divisive nature of Raisi's influence.
Prominent leaders like Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev have also paid their respects.
Iran's government says the funeral for President Ebrahim Raisi and other victims of the chopper crash will be held in Tehran on Wednesday.
All government offices and private businesses in the country will be closed on Wednesday to coincide with funerals for crash victims.
The victims' bodies are currently in the city of Tabriz, where a funeral will be held on Tuesday.
They will later be transferred to the city of Qom for another funeral on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, the main funeral will be held in Tehran, where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will say the prayers for the dead.
Then Raisi's body will be transferred to northeastern city of Birjand - which he represented in the Assembly of Experts - for another funeral on Thursday morning.
Finally, his body will be transferred to Mashhad where he will be buried after a final funeral on Thursday afternoon.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters during a briefing on Tuesday that "Regrading the death of the Iranian president in the very unfortunate helicopter crash, we continue to monitor the situation but we don't have any insights into the cause of the accident." Asked again if the incident was anything other than an accident, Austin refused to speculate, saying everyone should wait to see if Iran's investigation would turn up anything.
Austin added that the Pentagon does not see any broader impact and security implications emanating from the incident.
The Iranian government's newspaper says the presidential election calendar has been approved in a meeting chaired by interim president Mohammad Mokhber. Raisi who was on Sunday in a helicopter crash was elected president in June 2021.
The election day is set for June 28. Candidate registration will be from May 30 to June 3 with campaigning from June 12 to 27.
